The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Toyin Olajide, has strongly refuted the claims made by the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, during his recent interview on Arise Television.
Olajide stated that Sirika’s statements regarding Air Peace were false and misleading, News About Nigeria reports.
The former aviation minister, Sirika had praised Ethiopian Airlines while stating that Air Peace had leased “two” Boeing 777 aircraft on a monthly fee of $250,000.
He further claimed that the aircraft remained parked for several months, resulting in losses of $19 million. Sirika questioned why Air Peace would engage in such actions, implying that Ethiopian Airlines would never do the same.
In response, Olajide categorically denied Sirika’s claims and described them as a “blatant lie.”
She said, “This is a blatant lie as we have three and not two Boeing 777 aircraft which were never leased or rented but were purchased outrightly by the airline.
“Air Peace never incurred such a loss, we never paid rentals contrary to his lies. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority can attest to the purchase and ownership of the Aircraft by Air Peace.”
Additionally, Sirika stated that Air Peace ceased operations in Dubai due to a lack of capacity. Olajide vehemently denied this accusation as another “stark lie.” She clarified that Air Peace began operating flights to the UAE in July 2019.
However, in October 2022, the UAE Government imposed a total visa ban on Nigerians, which led to the suspension of Air Peace’s Dubai operations starting from November 22, 2022.
Olajide highlighted that neither Emirates nor Air Peace currently operates the Nigerian/UAE route due to the ongoing visa issuance challenges. She criticized Sirika for misrepresenting the situation and attempting to disparage an airline that has overcome numerous obstacles to proudly serve the nation.
“Neither Emirates nor Air Peace is operating the Nigerian/UAE route since the ban. The persisting non-issuance of visas and the accompanying inconveniences necessitated the suspension of our Dubai operations from November 22, 2022, till date.
“For the former minister to ascribe the suspension to ‘lack of capacity’ is not only shocking but also shows how keen he is to disparage an airline that has defied all the commercial odds and hostile environment placed on its path to continue to serve our nation proudly.
“How could an airline that placed a firm order for 13 brand new E2-195 aircraft, a firm order of 15 Boeing 737 Max 8 & Max 10, with over 30 aircraft already in its existing fleet be accused of lacking in capacity?
“How can an Airline that stood up for the entire nation during the Covid-19 outbreak, and embarked on rescue operations worldwide, evacuating Nigerians from far-away China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, UK and South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdowns be accused of lacking capacity?,” Olajide added.
Olajide called on the public to disregard the comments made by the former Minister of Aviation, emphasizing that they misrepresent Air Peace and create incorrect perceptions about the airline’s brand.
She added, “We take serious exception to a situation where Air Peace is being misrepresented in the public sphere, causing wrong perceptions about our brand.”
