Amid mounting pressure from regulators, Nigerian airline Air Peace has declared it will not compromise safety, even if it means more flight delays or cancellations in the future.
This comes in response to a warning issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which criticized the airline over recurring disruptions and urged it to streamline operations to match available aircraft.
Air Peace, in a statement on Friday, maintained that every cancellation or delay it initiates is based on safety considerations and not due to operational mismanagement. “We do not cancel any flight for the fun of it,” the airline said. “If such situations occur again, we will do the same because we are not ready to compromise safety.”
The NCAA had earlier accused the airline of operating beyond its available fleet capacity, suggesting that overextension might be contributing to service lapses. But Air Peace dismissed this claim, insisting it has more aircraft than it currently deploys. “Any delays or cancellations we’ve experienced have absolutely nothing to do with fleet shortage,” the airline noted.
The airline emphasised that disruptions often arise from uncontrollable factors such as adverse weather or technical concerns.
“If weather conditions, technical parameters, or operational standards fall short of what is safe, we will not operate that flight,” it stated.
Air Peace acknowledged the frustrations of passengers affected by service interruptions but stressed that its primary obligation is the protection of human lives. “We fully empathise with our esteemed passengers… however, we do not regret taking operational decisions rooted in safety.”
While the NCAA called for immediate operational improvements, Air Peace reiterated that its model prioritizes safety over speed, comfort, or profit.
“We will never sacrifice safety for convenience,” it affirmed.
