By Adesina Soyooye
For, allegedly, disrespecting the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, Nigeria’s largest Airline, Air Peace, has been petitioned against before the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The petition, dated Thursday, February 24, 2022, written by a cousin of the revered Emir, Isa Bayero, said that for not delaying its flight for the Emir to arrive and board, Air Peace has committed a cardinal sin.
The petition alleges that by doing that, the Airliner has not only disrespected the Emir of Kano but, also, the entire Kano people. He seeks punishment against Air Peace.
Isa Bayero said that they had boarded the Airline from Banjul, and were supposed to board a connecting flight, on the same Airline to Kano, on arrival to Nigeria. But Air Peace, he said, delayed its flight out of Banjul by over an hour. By the time they arrived Nigeria, it was 30 minutes to the departure of the airline to Kano. He said, he appealed to them to delay the Kano flight so as to accommodate the Emir and his entourage. They refused. He then decided to put a call to the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.
According to Isa Bayero, Onyema told him he couldn’t, and wouldn’t do that. “I, personally, took this as a flagrant show of disrespect to his highness and the Kano people at large,” Isa Bayero wrote.
He added that as if that was not enough, when they rebooked for the next available fight, 7.00pm, after paying for a stay in a hotel, they were made to pay penalties for “no show” even though it was not their fault as the delay out of Banjul was that of the Airline.
Part of the complaint against Air Peace reads:
“We, 10 of us, including His Highness Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Sarkin Kano and four other business class passengers, with additional other five economy class passengers, all boarded our return Air Peace flight No. P47776 from Banjul to Lagos.
“Our departure from Banjul was scheduled for 00:10hrs (local time) on 24th February, 2022. However, we departed Banjul at 01:19hrs and we landed at Lagos at 5:45am.
‘’Our connecting flight to Kano on the same Air Peace airline was for 6:15 hrs. This gave us only 30 minutes to make our flight to Kano.”
This was the point he asked the Airline to delay its flight out of Lagos to Kano. He was refused. He then decided to personally call Onyema. That failed.
Isa Bayero: “He (Onyema) flatly refused and avowed that he will not do that. I personally took this as an insult and a flagrant show of disrespect to his highness and the Kano people at large.
“Arriving international flights, departing aircrafts- local or international – are often delayed to enable arriving passengers to join.
“Why should that be different with Air Peace Airline?
“Despite having to check into a hotel at personal cost, the airline also requested us to pay a “no-show” fee when they wanted to rebook the next available flight of the airline which was by 7pm.
“This is an extreme case of insensitivity and callousness.
“In view of the foregoing, I feel strongly aggrieved and demand your kind intervention for restitution and for appropriate measures to be taken to stop this unwholesome development from happening in the future.”
There has been no response or reaction from Air Peace or NCAA.
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