Tension flared at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday night as Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest private airline, once again grounded dozens of its passengers with abrupt flight cancellations—leaving a trail of anger, confusion, and exhaustion in its wake.
The chaos, which unfolded in the airport’s departure hall, saw stranded travellers—including expatriates, women, and young children—spend the night sprawled on cold, metallic chairs, with many forced to sleep in discomfort. Eyewitness videos circulating online captured emotional scenes of outraged passengers shouting in protest, demanding explanations from airline staff, while others sat in helpless silence, visibly drained.
This incident adds to a string of recent cancellations and delays that have put Air Peace under fire from both the public and regulators. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), alarmed by the airline’s consistent service failures, summoned Air Peace to a high-level meeting on Friday.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed in a press release that the regulatory body expressed deep concern over the deteriorating operational performance of the airline. The statement followed a crucial meeting held at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja, where the Director General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, met with Air Peace’s top management to address the crisis.
“We have received numerous complaints about chronic flight cancellations and delays by Air Peace. This trend must be urgently reversed,” Captain Najomo stated. “While we remain committed to supporting domestic airlines, strict compliance with aviation regulations and global best practices is non-negotiable.”
Captain Najomo further advised Air Peace to scale down its operations in accordance with its actual fleet capacity, emphasizing the need for realistic scheduling to reduce customer disruption and restore public confidence.
In response, Air Peace acknowledged the challenges but downplayed their severity, characterizing them as “not uncommon in the aviation industry.” The airline assured both regulators and the travelling public that it was working diligently to resolve ongoing technical and logistical issues.
However, the NCAA is not leaving anything to chance. The authority announced plans to intensify regulatory oversight across all domestic carriers, pledging to enforce strict compliance with flight schedules and raise operational standards industry-wide.
With mounting passenger frustration and increasing regulatory scrutiny, Air Peace faces a critical moment in its operations. The pressure is now on the airline to regain trust, improve its reliability, and avoid further grounding the hopes of Nigerian travellers.
PIONEER NEWS 