EXTRA: NCAA asked to punish Air Peace for refusing to delay flight for Emir of Kano

Isa Bayero, cousin of Aminu Ado Bayero, Emir of Kano, has asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to take punitive action against Air Peace for refusing to delay a flight for the monarch.

In a complaint letter addressed to the NCAA on Thursday, Bayero described the act as a “disrespect” to the Emir and the people of Kano state.

“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,” the letter reads.

Bayero, popularly known as Isa Pilot, explained that the airline had delayed their Banjul to Lagos flight by over one hour, yet refused to allow them board their connecting flight to Kano because they arrived in Lagos 30 minutes before departure time.

“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,” he said.

‘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.”

Bayero said he personally called Allen Onyema, chief executive officer of Air Peace, to inform him of the situation.

He said he requested him to assist by delaying their departing flight to Kano as a mark of respect to the “revered” Emir of Kano.

“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,” the letter adds.

Bayero expressed disappointment at Onyema’s response, saying that the delay was the fault of the airline.

He said arriving international flights, departing aircrafts – local or international – were often delayed to enable arriving passengers to join.

“Why should that be different with Air Peace Airline?” he asked.

Bayero said despite having to check into a hotel at personal cost, the airline also requested them 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,” he said.