Air Peace dismisses reports chairman Onyema was stranded at Ekiti airport
By Jeffrey Agbo
Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest flag carrier, has dismissed reports suggesting that its Chairman, Allen Onyema, was stranded for 24 hours at the Ekiti State Agro Allied International Cargo Airport due to a lack of navigational aids.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo, described the reports as false, inaccurate and misleading.
Ndiulo clarified that the aircraft scheduled to pick up Onyema and his team on Saturday evening was unable to land in Ekiti due to poor weather conditions and was rerouted back to Lagos as a standard safety precaution.
Onyema had travelled to Ekiti to receive an award from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and landed successfully at the airport earlier that day. Reports later emerged claiming that his departure was delayed because the airport lacked the necessary navigational aids for his B737 aircraft to take off.
Refuting these claims, Ndiulo stated, “We are aware of select online reports that the Chairman/CEO, Air Peace Limited, Allen Onyema, was stranded for over 24 hours at the Ekiti State Agro Allied International Cargo Airport due to the airport’s lack of navigational aids on his recent visit to Ekiti.
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“We want to categorically state that this report is false, inaccurate and misleading. This is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts designed to malign Air Peace and its leadership.”
He emphasised that the aircraft’s inability to land was due to adverse weather conditions, specifically heavy rain, which led to the flight being diverted back to Lagos. This, according to Ndiulo, is a routine occurrence in global aviation and does not reflect any shortcomings on the part of the airport.
“At no point did any Air Peace flight engage in unsafe operations, contrary to the false narrative. Air Peace upholds the highest international aviation safety standards, with safety as our top priority,” Ndiulo asserted.
He also condemned the spread of what he described as sensational and misleading information, stating that it misinforms the public and unfairly damages the reputation of Nigeria’s leading airline.
“At Air Peace, safety is not just a priority but a fundamental precondition for all our activities. We remain committed to maintaining safe and timely operations,” the statement concluded.
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