Passengers bound for an Abuja–Lagos flight of Air Peace are currently stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport due to a delay caused by the airline.
FIJ understands that these passengers would probably not have been grounded at the airport had the airline not moved their flight two times before the third move.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Air Peace Customers Protest 4-Hour Flight Delay, Demand Refund
The Air Peace flight was initially scheduled to depart Abuja at 2.00 pm on Thursday, but the airline moved it forward by an hour due to an “unscheduled maintenance” as evidenced by a message sent at 8:19 pm on Wednesday to notify passengers ahead.
A few hours after the first notification, the airline sent another message, saying the flight scheduled to depart at 3:00 pm had been “re-accommodated” to a different flight. And the new flight was to leave Abuja at 7:20 pm. This was also due to an “unscheduled maintenance”.
Barely an hour to the new departure time on Thursday, after many of the passengers had checked in, the airline moved the departure time for the third time due to the “bird strikes on the operating aircraft”.
A bird strike on an operating aircraft occurs when a bird collides with the aircraft while it is in motion, and it can pose safety risks to flights.
This time around, passengers are to depart at 11:40 pm. If the flight takes off at the new time communicated by Air Peace, this means passengers will arrive at Lagos by 1:00 am.
A message sent to passengers about the latest delay reads in part: “Dear Esteemed Passenger, We are truly sorry that your flight with us, P4****, Abuja to Lagos for today, 27th February, 2025, has been delayed due to bird strikes on the operating aircraft. The affected aircraft is currently grounded, and our operations team is actively working to salvage the operations.”
READ ALSO: Lawyer to Sue Air Peace Over Delay, Abusive Conduct
Many passengers are expressing frustration over the airline’s incompetence and unreliability.
One of the affected passengers, who does not want to be named, said he would sue Air Peace if the flight does not take off before midnight.
“Air Peace is biting more than they can chew,” said the paasenger. “You don’t take a destination you can’t serve. People have been here since 1:00 pm, waiting for their flights only to hear that they won’t leave until a few minutes to midnight!”
Some of these passengers expressed disappointment about Air Peace’s reputation for disappointing passengers, saying the airline eventually cancels the delayed flight.
The post Passengers Stranded as Air Peace Moves Abuja–Lagos Flight 3 Times in 24 Hours appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.