Nigeria's aviation regulator defends Air Peace after Gatwick disruption

By Dickson Omobola

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) defended Air Peace’s response to the recent flight disruption at Gatwick Airport in London, stating that the airline acted in the interest of safety.

Capt. Chris Najomo, Director General of the NCAA, called on Nigerians not to condemn the nation’s airlines over operational setbacks.

A few days earlier, passengers—including Nollywood actress Funke Akindele—took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim the airline had left them stranded at Gatwick without adequate communication.

Akindele wrote on X: “Air Peace, this is unacceptable. Passengers (including elderly people) have been stranded since 6:30 AM at London Gatwick Airport with no proper communication. After hours of delay, we were told there was a bird strike and promised a hotel. Hours later, people are still sitting at baggage claim hungry, exhausted, and without their bags.”

Najomo later explained that, following the bird‑strike incident, Air Peace consulted Boeing, which recommended that the flight not be operated until all safety concerns were addressed.

Speaking to journalists at the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) NCAA Digital Transformation Initiative PEL/MED Stakeholder Engagement at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, he said: “I do not agree with using the word stranded. No airline will want to leave his or her passengers stranded. Delays and cancellations happen everywhere.

“What happened with Air Peace in London that went viral is not very good. We should all support our own. Look at what happened to Delta Air Lines. Look at what happened to other airlines. Was there any furore about it? Nobody talked about it. Air Peace did the right thing by not operating that flight.

“And they called Boeing to say, look, this is what… And they told them, no, you cannot operate that flight. So, I mean, what do you expect them to do? The airline did what it had to do. I investigated it, and learned that passengers were taken to a hotel, and they were told to wait for the aircraft coming in from Abuja to now take the people back.

“The hotel where they put the passengers is in the airport there. Flights are delayed all over the world. These (planes) are machines, anything can happen. So, let us support our own. Meanwhile, we are doing all the enlightenment campaigns we can on these issues. The Consumer Protection Unit is doing all we can.”

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