Air Peace has debunked reports that the airline disrespected the Emir of Kano as well as the people of the state.
The chief protocol officer of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, had written a petition to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, asking for punitive measures to be taken against Air Peace over its refusal to delay its scheduled Lagos-Kano flight in order to carry the monarch.
In a petition signed by Isa Bayero, a nephew to the emir who serves as chief protocol officer, the palace 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 Lagos 30 minutes before departure time.
But Air Peace in a statement issued on Friday, by its Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Toyin Olajide, explained the incident which led to the comments by one Isa Bayero, who had allegedly accused the airline of not delaying a flight for the Emir.
According to her the flight to Kano had been slated for 6:15 am but the Emir and his entourage were said to have still been at the Lagos International Airport after just arriving from Banjul, the Gambia.
According to a statement, delaying the flight would have caused “a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the airline and the Emir”.
Olajide noted that by deciding to not delay the flight, Isa Bayero alleged that the airline had disrespected the Emir.
Read the statement below;
“Our attention has been drawn to a written complaint by one Isa Bayero to the DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) against Air Peace and which is published in the public domain.
“In the complaint, Mr. Isa Bayero alleged that Air Peace disrespected the Emir of Kano and the people of Kano by not delaying the Airline’s 6:15 am flight to Kano for the Emir! Rather than disrespect the reverred Emir of Kano, Air Peace did all that it could to protect the name and image of the emir from ridicule by not succumbing to what Isa Bayero demanded of the Airline.
“If the Airline had agreed to halt and delay an aircraft already set to go – for another one hour – only for the door to be opened and the Emir and his entourage walk in, there would have been a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the airline and the Emir.
“This we pleaded with Isa Bayero to understand, but he refused to accept.
“How could Isa Bayero want the management of Air Peace to halt and delay a fully boarded aircraft with doors shut and aircraft already moving, while our respected Emir and eight others in his entourage, including Isa Bayero, were still when I reported this statement to the Chairman, he did not believe me and insinuated that I might not have heard him rightly, because Isa Bayero was well acquainted with him and could not have said such.
“It is, therefore, to my utmost shock that we saw in the media this deliberate falsehood.
“It is so unfortunate that Isa Bayero will go to this extent to portray the Chairman and Air Peace in this manner.
“The Chairman of Air Peace has the highest regard for the traditional institution as it could be recalled that the Emir of Kano had previously issued a certificate of commendation to the Chairman for his philanthropic work to the people of Kano and as such holds the office of the Emir and all traditional institutions in highest esteem.
“We are, therefore, appalled that this statement would be made to incite such negativity towards the airline.
“We make bold to say that the Emir of Kano we know would have been offended to know that a flight already taxiing was halted and delayed for over 40 minutes for him.
“The Emir would never have supported this publication. He may not have even known our offers and our reasons given to Prince Isa Bayero.
“We reiterate our respects to our reverred Emir of Kano.”
