The Management of Air Peace Ltd. has clarified that it neither sold a Lagos to São Paulo flight nor abandoned anyone as alleged by a media outlet.
The airline management dismissed the allegations on Friday in Lagos.
Air peace described the media report, allegedly accusing the airline and present administration, over the proposed Lagos to São Paulo direct flight were deceptive, as malicious and misleading.
To set the record straight and to debunk the falsehoods contained in the report, Air Peace said: “The allegation of a ‘scam’ is false, sensational, and dishonest.
“At no time did Air Peace or the Federal Government of Nigeria defraud Nigerians in Brazil or elsewhere regarding the Lagos–São Paulo route.
“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is not a flight launch. An MoU is a statement of intent between governments to deepen bilateral cooperation.
“It is neither a ticket sale nor a flight schedule, and it does not constitute a guarantee of immediate commencement of operations.
“In aviation practice, several mandatory processes must be concluded after an MoU before any flight can operate.
“No Nigerian was ‘stranded’ by Air Peace. No tickets were sold, no booking platform was opened, and no flight date was announced.
“It is, therefore, illogical to claim that passengers were stranded by a flight that was never placed on sale. What exists here is self-imposed expectation, not deception,” the airline cleared.
Air Peace also said that international long-haul operations required multiple regulatory and operational approvals that could not be fast-tracked by publicity or political goodwill.
The airlines said such approvals included: “Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) implementation frameworks; Approval from Brazil’s civil aviation authority (ANAC).
“Slot allocations at São Paulo airports; Safety, insurance, and ETOPS certifications and Aircraft deployment planning and route economics.”
On the issue of capacity, Air Peace said it had the requisite equipment to operate the route.
“The airline currently has four Boeing 777-200/300 aircraft in its fleet. Two are deployed on the London Heathrow and London Gatwick routes.
“While the remaining two are on standby for deployment to other long-haul destinations, including São Paulo, upon completion of all regulatory and commercial processes.
“Until these requirements are fully met, no responsible airline would announce ticket sales or commence operations,” the airline explained.
Also, the management of Air Peace said a commencement date had not been fixed; blaming Air Peace for the high cost of connecting international flights is baseless
Air Peace, therefore, considered the report a deliberate act of blackmail against the airline and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The airline concluded that no flight was sold, no Nigerian was abandoned, no scam occurred and an MoU was not a boarding pass.
Air Peace reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and professionalism, adding that when all regulatory and commercial conditions are satisfied, the Lagos–São Paulo route would be formally announced.
