Air Peace, a leading Nigerian airline, has strongly denied the allegations made by Hadi Sirika, the former Minister of Aviation, regarding a purported loss of $19 million resulting from parking two leased Boeing 777 aircraft for an extended period.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by Toyin Olajide, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Air Peace, the airline categorically dismissed the minister’s claims as baseless and unfounded.
On Sunday, Hadi Sirika addressed various issues about Nigeria Air and the country’s aviation sector during a discussion on Arise TV. The former minister stated, “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.” Sirika further alleged that Air Peace had leased two Boeing 777 aircraft at a monthly rate of $250,000, parked them for several months, and incurred losses of $19 million. He also claimed that the engines and landing gears of the aircraft were due for replacement when the airline was ready to fly.
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Responding to these allegations in the official statement, Olajide vehemently refuted the assertions made by Sirika, clarifying that Air Peace owns three Boeing 777 aircraft outright. She stated, “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.” Olajide emphasized that the airline never suffered such financial losses or made any rental payments, contradicting the former minister’s statements. She further pointed out that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) could confirm Air Peace’s aircraft ownership through proper documentation.
Addressing the claim that the airline ceased operations in Dubai due to a lack of capacity, Olajide categorically stated, “Air Peace never stopped the Dubai operations because of lack of capacity.” She clarified that the airline commenced flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in July 2019. However, in October 2022, the UAE government imposed a complete visa ban on Nigerians, suspending operations. Olajide explained, “Neither Emirates nor Air Peace has been 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.”
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The COO highlighted Air Peace’s remarkable growth and capacity by expressing astonishment at Sirika’s claims and his attempt to discredit the airline’s accomplishments. She stated, “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 and Max 10, with over 30 aircraft already in its existing fleet be accused of lacking in capacity?”
Olajide further emphasized Air Peace’s contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the successful repatriation of Nigerians from various countries. She urged the public to disregard the former minister’s allegations and reiterated Air Peace’s commitment to serving the nation proudly.
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