Air Peace has dismissed claims that it sold tickets or stranded Nigerians in connection with the proposed Lagos–São Paulo direct flight, insisting that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed between the Nigerian and Brazilian governments was not a flight launch, but a framework to deepen bilateral aviation cooperation.
The airline, in a statement on Friday, described the reports as false, misleading and deliberately sensational.
The statement denied allegations that it connived with the Federal Government to deceive the public over the commencement of the route.
The airline insisted that no tickets were ever sold, no booking platform was opened and no flight date was announced for the Lagos–São Paulo service, stressing that it was therefore impossible for passengers to have been stranded.
“An MoU is a statement of intent. It is not a ticket sale, a flight schedule, or a guarantee of immediate commencement of operations,” the airline added.
It expressed that international long-haul routes required extensive regulatory and operational approvals before operations could begin.
These approvals, it said, included the implementation of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) frameworks, authorisation from Brazil’s civil aviation authority, airport slot allocations in São Paulo, safety and insurance certifications, as well as aircraft deployment and route-viability assessments.
On fleet availability, the airline declared that it had the capacity to operate the route, noting that it currently operates four Boeing 777-200/300 aircraft, while two of the aircraft are deployed on its London Heathrow and London Gatwick routes and the remaining two are available for other long-haul destinations, including São Paulo, once all regulatory and commercial processes are completed.
Besides, the statement denied making any binding commitment to a specific start date for the route, adding that international route development often takes several years.
It gave an example of its London service, which it said took about seven years from conception to accomplish.
The airline further rejected suggestions that the MoU would automatically lead to reduced international airfares, stating that it did not control global airline pricing or foreign carriers.
“The allegations are an attempt to undermine the airline and discredit the Federal Government,” it added.
The airline noted that preparations for the Lagos–São Paulo route began in 2024 and that it had been engaging Nigerian aviation authorities, the Brazilian government, and other stakeholders to bring the service to reality.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment