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Air Peace has rejected the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s August 2026 flight disruption report, alleging that the regulator underreported its operations by more than 700 flights and consequently distorted the airline’s reported delay performance.
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The airline said it operated 2,564 flights in August, rather than the 1,864 recorded by the NCAA, and argued that only 391 delays, representing about 15 per cent of its disruptions, were caused by internal operational factors.
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Air Peace attributed the majority of its disruptions to external factors, including severe airport congestion, inadequate airport facilities, adverse weather, and bird strikes.
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The airline has challenged the NCAA to review and audit its data-collection process, arguing that publishing delay figures without properly identifying their causes could unfairly portray airlines as responsible for disruptions arising from wider systemic problems.
September 17, (THEWILL) – Air Peace Limited has rejected the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) August 2026 flight disruption report, describing the regulator’s figures as inaccurate and disputing its characterization of the causes of delays recorded during the month.
The airline said the report failed to reflect the actual volume of its operations and did not adequately distinguish between delays caused by internal operational problems and those arising from external circumstances beyond its control.
The NCAA, in its Summary of Domestic Airline Disruption Operations for August 2026, reported that 15 domestic carriers operated 7,961 flights during the month, out of which 4,765 were delayed and 36 cancelled.
Air Peace was listed as having operated 1,864 flights, with 1,330 delayed, representing 71.4 per cent of its reported operations.
Air Peace, however, said it actually operated 2,564 flights during August, alleging that more than 700 fully operational flights were omitted from the NCAA’s data.
In a statement signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, the airline said the alleged omission distorted its performance metrics and artificially inflated its reported delay percentage.
“Air Peace operated a total of 2,564 flights in August 2026, as opposed to the 1,864 flights stated in the NCAA report,” the airline said.
It also questioned why the NCAA commenced its monthly flight-disruption data series with August rather than July, following the publication of its first- and second-quarter reports on July 31.
Air Peace said it was particularly concerned that there was no equivalent monthly July data available while detailed August figures were released just 13 days after the end of the month.
The airline argued that the August report should have provided greater context because the month was affected by what it described as an extraordinary industrial disruption within the aviation sector.
According to Air Peace, aviation union picketing which began on August 11 disrupted its operations for more than 14 days, resulting in flight rescheduling, delays and cancellations.
The carrier questioned why the NCAA released its report without identifying the specific causes of delays attributed to individual airlines.
“Why was this report published rapidly without identifying the causes of the delays attributed to individual airlines instead of publishing wrong figures that could tarnish the reputation of the airline despite prevailing operational challenges?” it asked.
Air Peace’s 15% Claim
Air Peace said an internal review of its August operational data showed that 391 flights were delayed because of internal factors, representing approximately 15 per cent of the delays it experienced during the month.
The airline said the internal causes were mainly technical issues that resulted in unscheduled aircraft maintenance, as well as fuel-related challenges.
It maintained that the remaining disruptions were caused by external factors and said it had operational data to support its position.
According to the airline, airport congestion and traffic accounted for more than 51 per cent of its external delays.
It said aircraft were frequently held on the ground or placed in holding patterns because of congestion and limitations in airport infrastructure capacity.
Air Peace also cited deficiencies and unexpected breakdowns in airport facilities, which it said restricted boarding and departure operations and contributed to delays.
Bird Strike, Aircraft Damage
The airline identified bird strikes as another significant source of disruption, particularly an incident involving its aircraft, 5N-BYG, in Abuja.
Air Peace said the aircraft was struck by a bird, damaging its inlet cowl beyond acceptable limits and resulting in repair costs of about $1.8 million.
The carrier said the aircraft normally operates a minimum of eight sectors a day and transports about 1,000 passengers.
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It was subsequently removed from flight operations for more than a week and only returned to service after the damaged inlet cowl was replaced.
Air Peace said the incident significantly disrupted its flight rotations and had consequential effects on passengers and other scheduled services.
The airline also alleged that damage caused to another aircraft by a ground-handling company resulted in the aircraft being removed from active flight operations for more than 14 days.
Weather, Union Action
Adverse weather was also identified as a major external factor. Air Peace said unfavourable weather conditions throughout August resulted in mandatory safety holds and flight diversions, further compounding operational backlogs.
The airline noted that Nigeria remained within the rainy season and argued that the effects of weather-related diversions could continue long after the initial disruption.
“One flight diversion could result in almost three hours’ delay. How is the consequential delay Air Peace’s fault?” the airline asked.
It said it nevertheless continued to assist affected passengers, including providing hotel accommodation in cases involving external disruptions.
Air Peace also reiterated that the unprecedented picketing of its operations by aviation union members contributed substantially to the disruption of its flight schedule.
The airline said the industrial action lasted for more than 14 days and affected its ability to operate normally across its network.
Airline Demands NCAA Review
Air Peace strongly rejected what it described as a narrative that it was primarily responsible for the delays experienced by its passengers in August.
“Again, the narrative that Air Peace is primarily responsible for these delays is completely false,” the airline said.
It maintained that internal operational factors accounted for only 15 per cent of its delays, while the overwhelming majority were linked to external circumstances.
The airline said it had previously refrained from making its concerns public but was compelled to respond after what it described as an unacceptable misrepresentation of its operations.
“We have restrained ourselves from making these facts public before now, but we have now been pushed beyond acceptable limits, hence the need to go public and state the facts the way they are,” it said.
Air Peace said it had invested heavily in fleet expansion and availability, crew readiness, continuous high-standard training and aircraft maintenance protocols. It stressed that it remained committed to safety, improved on-time performance and passenger satisfaction.
However, the airline said carriers could not safely or logistically eliminate delays arising from airport congestion, inadequate infrastructure, sunset restrictions, adverse weather and other systemic constraints. It said it would continue to optimise its internal processes to reduce delays arising from factors within its control.
Air Peace consequently urged the NCAA to review and audit its data-collection methodology to ensure that future flight-disruption reports accurately capture airlines’ operational volumes and identify the actual causes of delays.
The airline said accurate classification of delay causes was necessary to provide a fairer picture of the operational challenges confronting airlines and the wider Nigerian aviation sector.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
