Ukraine Evacuation: Fuel Scarcity Caused Six-Hour Delay – Air Peace

Following a complaint by a passenger regarding a six-hour delay of an Air Peace flight, the airline has stated that the delay was caused by the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Ukraine and fuel scarcity.

The passenger, Josh Cahill, is a solo-flight reviewer with over 45,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and boasts 150 million views.

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Cahill had taken to Twitter to express his displeasure and tweeted that he and other passengers were scheduled for a flight from Lagos to Johannesburg, South Africa but had been delayed for six hours.

The German national also claimed that two passengers had passed out while trying to forcefully board the plane while there was no aviation fuel for the plane.

Cahill tweeted, “Unbelievable scenes here at Lagos. Flight delayed by six hours now. Passengers tried to storm the plane. Two passengers passed out, and no jet fuel is available, so we can’t depart to Johannesburg. No Peace on @flyairpeace.”

However, in a statement made available to our correspondent, the management of Air Peace stated that the flight was delayed due to the evacuation of Nigerians who were airlifted from Hungary after being stranded in war-torn Ukraine.

Air Peace further explained that the plane, which was also scheduled for a flight to South Africa, arrived from Abuja at the scheduled time for it was meant to depart from Lagos to Johannesburg.

The statement read, “The aircraft scheduled to operate the Jo’burg flight, a Boeing 777, was delayed in Budapest, Hungary, where it airlifted Nigerians who were stranded as a result of the Ukraine crisis. Some of the Nigerians reported late at the airport.

“On arriving Abuja, the aircraft was also delayed as it arrived late and we had to obtain the necessary operational waivers given that it was an evacuation flight. The aircraft finally arrived Lagos around 04:00hrs, the same time it was scheduled to depart for Jo’burg.

“As a standard practice, the aircraft had to be cleaned, prepared and fuelled for the next trip. Fuel scarcity was another factor that delayed the Jo’burg flight.

“It is also crucial to state that the passenger who had a medical emergency, was rightfully attended to by Port Health and is on-board the flight, which is now airborne.”

Recall that Air Peace was recently embroiled in a face-off with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, over its refusal to delay a flight for the monarch.

After the Emir’s flight from Banjul, Gambia to Lagos was delayed, his entourage had called the Chairman of the airline, Allen Onyema, to delay a Lagos to Kano flight, which the Emir was supposed to be on.

However, Air Peace did not delay the flight stating that “there would have been a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the airline and the Emir.”

The Emir’s cousin, Isa Bayero, had written to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to issue sanctions heavy against the airline for “disrespecting” the Kano monarch, which Air Peace denied.

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