Safety issues raised by Gatwick against Air Peace resolved - Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development says Air Peace Airlines has closed safety issues raised by safety inspectors of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, stressing that the Nigerian flag carrier enjoys the full backing and support of the Nigerian Government in its operation.

The Minister in a statement said, “I have been adequately and reliably briefed on the progress made thus far on this issue by the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

” I am informed that the safety issues raised have since been adequately addressed by the Management of Air Peace and promptly closed to the satisfaction of the UK authorities.”

“I wish to state categorically that the Federal Government has full confidence in the continued safety of the operations of all Nigerian flag carriers designated on different international routes, including Air Peace and will continue to support and nudge them forward in pursuit of world-class operational excellence.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government of Nigeria has put its full weight and might behind all the local airlines designated on international routes in their endeavours in prosecuting these operations and shall provide all the necessary assistance and cooperation to ensure their success. Air Peace is no exception in this regard.”

Recall that the London Gatwick Airport had filed two mandatory occurrence reports to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) against Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Air Peace’s operations at the airport.

In a documents entitled, “United Kingdom SAFA Ramp Inspection Report with reference number: CAA-UK, -2024-0217’ and ‘NATS Management System Safety Report’ itemised the carrier’s safety violations at the Gatwick Aerodrome, prompting the aviation regulatory body to equally report the airline to UK’s Department of Transport (DOT).

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.