AirPeace, Nigeria’s carrier, and Christopher Aniagbaoso, a passenger who was supposed to be on-board the Lagos-Owerri flight on May 12, have been at loggerheads over the decision of the airline to de-board him.
While Aniagbaoso alleged that he was de-boarded from the aircraft over his inability to speak English, the airline refuted the claim insisting that the passenger was told to leave the aircraft in order to guarantee the safety of its crew and customers.
The airline also alleged that all through his interaction with its ground staff, Aniagbaoso communicated in fluent English, adding that his claim of not being able to communicate in English at the point of the safety briefing was, therefore, only meant to disrupt and delay the flight.
Speaking in Igbo to the press in Lagos Monday, Aniagbaoso said he was at the airport on the said day but missed his flight after receiving a call that took almost 30 minutes.
He said he went on to ask if there was another available flight and he was told to pay N7,200 for the next flight at 2pm same day, as he was being attended to by a lady who spoke in Igbo and was allotted a seat by the emergency exit.
He said before take-off, he was instructed on how to use the emergency exit but told the hostess that he didn’t understand English. She called a colleague who was Igbo but he said she couldn’t understand what was being said.
He said he later got help from a fellow passenger who explained the instructions that were being given but was surprised when he was asked to leave his seat by the hostess on order from the pilot.
He alleged that he further requested for another flight for which he was asked to pay N3,000 as no-show fee to which he objected to, stating that he had no faults as to why he couldn’t go with the aircraft.
According to Aniagbaoso, after several arguments, he agreed to pay but was told by the manager that he wouldn’t be allowed to use the airline henceforth.
However, in a statement issued by Chris Iwarah, AirPeace corporate communications manager, he said, “Christopher Aniagbaoso had missed his morning Lagos-Owerri flight on May 12, 2019. He later showed up for the afternoon flight in good time and was issued an over-wing exit seat on request.
“After boarding, he was approached by a crew member for the normal safety briefing for passengers in the over-wing exit seats, but he suddenly claimed he could not understand English. Other passengers around him offered to translate to him, but he insisted that the crew must brief him in Igbo.
“When all efforts to have Aniagbaoso cooperate with the crew failed, the crew advised him to change his seat as the flight was already running late. He declined the advice to change his seat. The captain of the flight, who was eventually briefed on the development, also did everything to secure Aniagbaoso’s cooperation to no avail. At this point, our crewmembers were left with no other alternative than to advise Aniagbaoso to disembark to enable the flight depart.
“It is important to state that only those who are able to clearly understand and express their willingness to perform their safety responsibility are allowed by aviation regulations to sit in the exit row. It is also clearly stated in the safety cards that only those who can speak English are allowed to sit in the exit row,” Iwarah said.
