Air Peace defends Gatwick operations, cites  bird strike for London disruption

Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, has issued a comprehensive rebuttal to social media allegations suggesting it abandoned passengers at London Gatwick Airport following a flight disruption on May 1, 2026.

In a statement, the airline clarified that the disruption was triggered by a “bird strike,” a recognized force majeure event that necessitated the immediate grounding of the aircraft for safety inspections.

The airline’s response follows a viral video circulating on social media which claimed that passengers on the Gatwick–Lagos service were left stranded without communication or basic care.

Air Peace maintained that the decision to ground the aircraft was in strict accordance with global aviation safety standards. “At Air Peace, safety is not negotiable,” the management stated, adding that under no circumstances would it operate an aircraft without full safety clearance.

Addressing the complexity of the situation, the airline noted that international aviation is not a “plug and play” venture. Instead, it involves multiple stakeholders, layered safety protocols, and strict regulatory compliance, particularly when dealing with unforeseen incidents like bird strikes.

According to the airline, affected passengers were promptly informed of the cancellation by the flight’s Captain. The carrier confirmed that it made immediate arrangements for passenger welfare, including:

According to the airline, rooms were secured at the Hilton Hotel, London Gatwick and efforts were made to transfer passengers from the terminal to the hotel.

However, the airline admitted that the transfer process was hampered by external factors. Air Peace attributed the delays in moving passengers to their hotels to “airport congestion” and “delays from ground handling services” responsible for baggage retrieval.

“Air Peace does not exercise direct control over these processes,” the statement read, explaining that all baggage retrieval must follow established due process, which impacted the speed of passenger transfers.

Air Peace confirmed that all passengers who accepted the offer for accommodation have been settled at the Hilton Gatwick. The airline is currently finalizing arrangements to deploy a replacement aircraft to London to complete the service and bring the passengers back to Lagos.

The management expressed empathy for the distress caused to its passengers but stood firm on its proactive handling of the incident. “We find the ongoing negative hounding of our airline over a safety-driven, force majeure incident to be shocking and unwarranted,” the carrier noted, reaffirming its commitment to passenger well-being and safety.