COVID-19, reason for flight reduction –Air Peace

Chinelo Obogo

Air Peace has said its decision to reduce flight frequencies on various routes was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline’s  Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Toyin Olajide, said the COVID-19 pandemic devastated airlines worldwide, Nigerian airlines inclusive and that Air Peace is not immune from this.

Olajide explained that the airline had several aircraft out on C-Check maintenance abroad before COVID-19 and were caught up with the  lockdown globally, forcing the suspension of aircraft maintenance, noting that the aircraft ferried overseas for checks that time were supposed to have since come back one after another but because of lockdown in those countries, the aircraft did not come back at the scheduled time.

She said however that the aircraft are now returning to full flight operations and assured that it would connect all its domestic, regional and international destinations in coming days. “In recent times, our teeming customers have been worried that our flight frequencies have been drastically reduced to about 30 per cent of our capacity before COVID-19. They are equally worried that their favorite airline has also suspended their flight operations into some destinations.  “The above scenario has created some worries of varying degrees in the minds of those who really care for us- our customers. We wish to state here and now that there is no cause for alarm. We still remain the airline to beat. 

“COVID-19 affected airlines everywhere in different ways. In our own case, we had several aircraft out on C-check maintenance abroad before COVID-19. These aircraft were supposed to have since come back one after another but because of lockdown in those countries since February, the maintenance facilities shut down too. No maintenance took place. The Nigerian C-Check regime is driven by calendar, which implies that every aircraft has a time frame they must go for mandatory checks which is usually between 18months-24 months,” she said.