Air Peace management has vehemently denied allegations that the airline deserted a passenger and shut its counter prematurely for its Gatwick to Lagos flight on Monday.
Mr. Stanley Olisa, Corporate Communications Lead of Air Peace, issued a statement on Tuesday in Lagos to address the matter.
Olisa emphasized the necessity of clarifying the airline’s stance following the emergence of a video on social media alleging abandonment of a passenger bound for Lagos at Gatwick Airport.
“The video falsely claims that the airline closed its counter before closing time due to overbooking on the London to Lagos flight,” stated Olisa.
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He denounced the video as misleading, malicious, and an attempt to smear the reputation of Air Peace.
Olisa clarified that the passenger arrived at the airport significantly late after the conclusion of the check-in phase, and the counter was closed in accordance with the airport management’s approved time.
“Gatwick Airport operates based on slot timings allocated to each airline. Check-in operations adhere to slot-based schedules, and airlines vacate counters according to their allocated times,” Olisa explained.
“Our check-in process ends at 9:00 a.m., as stipulated in the Terms and Conditions of our e-ticket and website. Air Peace vacated the counter at 9:55 a.m. in line with our slot allocation.”
“To prevent passengers from missing their flights, we send multiple messages at different intervals before departure—24 hours, 14 hours, and 6 hours prior,” he added. “The departure for this flight was scheduled for 11:10 a.m., and all procedures were aligned with this timing.”
Olisa also refuted the claim of overbooking, asserting that both the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority could verify the number of passengers on the manifest.
He confirmed that the aircraft departed Gatwick with unoccupied seats, thus ruling out any overbooking.
“CCTV footage from Gatwick Airport confirms the time of the passenger’s arrival at the airport and Air Peace counter, as well as the timing of the video’s creator,” Olisa stated.
“The belated passenger paid the no-show fee, was rebooked on a subsequent flight, and the issue was resolved at the airport.”
Expressing dismay at the dissemination of a misrepresented version of events, Olisa reaffirmed Air Peace’s commitment to serving passengers while urging compliance with specified times to ensure seamless travel experiences.
