Air Peace to Sirika: we didn’t incur $19m loss
Air Peace Airlines yesterday fired back at the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika’s label of lack of capacity on the carrier as not only shocking, but also shows how keen he is in disparaging an airline that doing well.
Sirika in a television interview at the weekend said the airline has no moral right to oppose the setting up of a national carrier in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines because it had its two Boeing 777 on the ground with its aircraft engines and landing gears due for replacement.
Specifically, the airline said Sirika lied as Air Peace did not incurr a loss of over $19 million on the two wet leased Boeing 777 proposed for its intercontinental operations.
In a statement signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Toyin Olajide, the carrier said it never entered any wet lease deal for Boeing 777 on a monthly lease fee of $250,000.
The statement read: “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.
“Air Peace never incurred such a loss; 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.
“Secondly, Sirika said the airline stopped flying to Dubai because ‘we lack capacity’. This is another stark lie.
“Air Peace never stopped the Dubai operations because of lack of capacity. Air Peace commenced operations into the UAE in July 2019, but in October 2022, the UAE Government announced a total visa ban on Nigerians.
“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 the suspension of our Dubai operations from November 22, 2022 till date.
“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 whose ascendancy has defied all the commercial odds and hostile environment placed on its path to continue to serve our nation proudly.
“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 & Max 10, with over 30 aircraft already in its fleet be accused of lacking in capacity?
“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 far away China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, UK and South Africa during the COVID-19 lockdowns be accused of lacking capacity?
“We implore the public to disregard these lies told by the former minister of Aviation against Air Peace.’’
“We take serious exception to a situation where Air Peace is being misrepresented in the public sphere, causing wrong perceptions about our brand.”
