Air peace has addressed the disruption of its Gatwick to Lagos flight, stating that the incident was caused by a bird strike.
The clarification followed criticism from Funke Akindele, who had accused the airline of leaving passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport after a long delay with limited communication. She said passengers had been waiting since 6:30am without clear updates.
Responding via X, the airline denied the claims, insisting that affected passengers were not abandoned. It described the situation as a “’force majeure’ event in aviation, necessitating the immediate grounding of the aircraft for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards”.
Air Peace emphasised that safety remains its top priority and that it would never operate a flight without proper clearance. It added that passengers were informed about the cancellation and arrangements were made for their comfort, including hotel accommodation at the Hilton London Gatwick Airport and transit coordination.
The airline, however, noted that operational challenges such as airport congestion and delays by ground handling services affected the timely retrieval of luggage and slowed the transfer of some passengers to their hotels.
“It is important to note that baggage handling at international airports is managed by designated ground handling companies, operating within strict airport procedures and regulatory protocols. As such, Air Peace does not exercise direct control over these processes, and all baggage retrieval must follow established due process.
“At no point were passengers abandoned. Communication was maintained with all affected passengers, and every effort was made to ensure their welfare throughout the disruption.
“We can confirm that all passengers were offered hotel accommodation at the Hilton London Gatwick, and those who elected to accept have now been accommodated, while we finalise arrangements for the deployment of another aircraft to complete the service.
“We recognise that aviation disruptions can be distressing, and we remain empathetic to the inconvenience experienced by our esteemed passengers.
“However, it is important to emphasise that aviation operations are not “plug and play.” They involve multiple stakeholders, layered safety protocols, and strict regulatory compliance, particularly in situations involving force majeure events such as bird strikes.”
The airline also described the criticism directed at it as unwarranted, stating that updates were provided to passengers throughout the incident.
“While we respect the right of passengers to express their concerns, we find the ongoing negative hounding of our airline over a safety-driven, force majeure incident to be shocking and unwarranted, especially in light of the timely announcements and necessary updates made by the Captain of the flight to all affected passengers, as well as the responsible and proactive steps taken to ensure passenger safety, communication, and overall care throughout the disruption,” the airline said.
Air Peace reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and service, while thanking customers for their patience and understanding.