"Why we Stopped Dubai Route:" Air Peace Tackles Sirika Over Claims of Losing $19m to Leased Airplanes
- Air Peace has refuted claims by former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika that it stopped flying to Dubai because it lacked capacity
- The airline stated that the reason was due to the ban placed on Nigerians by the Arab country
- It said that the two aircraft were outrightly purchased by the airline and not leased
Air Peace has denied claims by ex-Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika over the loss of $19 million from parking two allegedly leased Boing 777 aircraft for many months.
The airline revealed in a statement on Monday, June 12, 2023, signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Toyin Olajide, that Sirika's claims were unfounded.
Source: Facebook
Sirika questions Air Peace's capacity to fly to Dubai
According to a report by TheCable, the former aviation minister said this while he discussed issues about Nigeria Air in a recent interview.
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Sirika said:
"Nigerians can remember when I stood up for Air Peace and ensured they must be going to Dubai. Are they going now? No! Why? No capacity."
The erstwhile Aviation Minister said Air Peace leased two Boeing 777 aircraft on a monthly fee of $250,000, parked them for several months, and accumulated a loss of $19 million while their engines and landing gears became due for replacement.
The airline's COO said the two aircraft were bought outrightly and not leased.
This is a blatant lie, Air Peace replies Sirika
She said:
"Air Peace never incurred such a loss, and we never paid rentals contrary to his lies. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) can attest to the purchase and ownership of the aircraft by Air Peace."
On the reasons the airline stopped flying to Dubai, Olajide stated that it was not due to lack of capacity, as claimed by Sirika, but that the ban placed on Nigerians by the UAE was responsible.
"Neither Emirates nor Air Peace has operated the Nigerian/UAE route since the ban. The persisting non-issuance of visas and the accompanying inconveniences necessitated suspending our Dubai operations from November 22, 2022.
"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 which (sic) ascendancy has defied all the commercial odds and hostile environment placed on its path to continue to serve our nation proudly."
Per Olajide's statement, Air Peace has ordered 13 brand-new E2-13 aircraft, 15 Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 10, and has over 30 aircraft on its fleet.
She stated that such aircraft could have the capacity to fly the Dubai route.
She cited the various rescue and evacuation missions embarked upon by the airline to help stranded Nigerians worldwide.
Air Peace flaunts its records
"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 faraway China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, UK, and South Africa during the Covid-19 lockdowns be accused of lacking in capacity?
Grace found him: Air Peace offers free flight to young Nigerian man who celebrated his first flying experience
Legit.ng earlier reported that Chukwuma Ezeh, the young Nigerian whose first flight experience celebration went viral, has been handed a rare offer by Air Peace, the airline he had used.
Quoting his viral tweet, the airline offered Chuwkuma a free return ticket to any domestic route.
When contacted about the recent development, Chukwuma told Legit.ng's Victor Duru that he never expected to get such an offer from the private airline.
Source: Legit.ng
