Air Peace Blames Bird Strike after Cancelling Gatwick-Lagos Flight, says Passengers were Not Abandoned

Air Peace has clarified the disruption of its Gatwick-Lagos flight on Friday, attributing the cause to a bird strike.

On Friday, Funke Akindele, a Nollywood actress and filmmaker, criticised Air Peace for allegedly leaving passengers stranded at Gatwick airport in the United Kingdom, after a prolonged delay with little to no communication.

In a post around 3pm, Akindele said passengers had been waiting since 6:30am without clear information.

Addressing the situation on Saturday via X, Air Peace said affected passengers were not abandoned, contrary to claims circulating on social media.

Air Peace described the incident as a “’force majeure’ event in aviation, necessitating the immediate grounding of the aircraft for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards”.

The airline added that safety is not negotiable, and under no circumstance would it operate an aircraft without the required safety clearance.

Air Peace said passengers were informed of the development and the subsequent cancellation of the flight, adding that arrangements were made for their comfort, including hotel accommodation at Hilton London Gatwick Airport, as well as necessary transit coordination.

“However, we encountered additional operational constraints, including airport congestion and delays from ground handling services responsible for baggage retrieval. These factors affected the timely retrieval of passengers’ checked baggage, which in turn impacted the speed at which some passengers were transferred to their hotels,” Air Peace said.

“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.”

‘NEGATIVE STATEMENTS UNWARRANTED’

Air Peace added that the negative statements toward the airline were unwarranted after the airline took steps to update the affected passengers.

“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 remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety, comfort, and overall well-being of our passengers, and we will continue to review our processes to further enhance our service delivery during unforeseen disruptions.”

The airline further appreciated the passengers for their patience and understanding during the period.