NCAA Asked To Punish Air Peace For Refusing To Delay Lagos Flight For Emir Of Kano

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has received a petition seeking to take punitive action against Air Peace for refusing to delay a flight for the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.

How Air Peace ‘Disrespected’ Emir Of Kano

In a complaint letter addressed to the NCAA on Thursday, the emir’s cousin, Isa Bayero said the airline delayed their Banjul to Lagos flight by over one hour and refused to allow them board their connecting flight to Kano because they arrived in Lagos 30 minutes before departure time.

Bayero, popularly known as Isa Pilot, described the Air Peace’s refusal to delay the flight as an act of “disrespect” to the “revered” Emir and the people of Kano state.

He said, “We, 10 of us, including His Highness Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Sarkin Kano and four other business class passengers with additional other five economy class passengers all boarded our return Air Peace flight No. P47776 from Banjul to Lagos.

“Our departure from Banjul was scheduled for 00:10hrs (local time) on 24th February, 2022, however, we departed Banjul at 01:19hrs and we landed at Lagos at 5:45am. Our connecting flight to Kano on the same Air Peace airline was for 6:15 hrs. This gave us only 30 minutes to make our flight to Kano.”

Bayero said he personally called the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, to inform him of the precarious situation and requested him to assist by delaying their departing flight to Kano as a mark of respect to the revered Emir of Kano.

He said, “He (Onyema) flatly refused and avowed that he will not do that. I personally took this as an insult and a flagrant show of disrespect to his highness and the Kano people at large.”

He said it was very disappointing because the delay was the fault of the airline, adding that he was “aware that even with arriving international flights, departing aircrafts – local or international – are often delayed to enable arriving passengers join. Why should that be different with Air Peace Airline?”

He said despite having to check into a hotel at personal cost, the airline also requested them to pay a “No-show” fee when they wanted to rebook the next available flight of the airline which was by 7 pm.

Bayero added, “This is an extreme case of insensitivity and callousness. In view of the foregoing, I feel strongly aggrieved and demand your kind intervention for restitution and for appropriate measures to be taken to stop this unwholesome development from happening in the future.”

When contacted, the Director-General of the NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, confirmed receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

“I can only say we received the letter, we are working on it but I cannot say anything on it,” Nuhu said.

KanyiDaily recalls that Air Peace had recently introduced a priority boarding policy for Nigerian military personnel, both serving and retired, to honour them for the huge sacrifices they make for the nation.