Air Peace Disputes NCAA Data, Says Internal Factors Caused Only 15% of August Delays

Air Peace has rejected the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s August 2026 flight disruption report, accusing the regulator of “fundamental data inaccuracies” and insisting that only 15 per cent of its delays last month were caused by internal operational factors. In a statement signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Mrs Toyin Olajide, the airline said it operated 2,564 flights in August, contrary to the 1,864 flights stated in the NCAA report. The omission of more than 700 flights from the regulator’s data pool, it argued, distorted its performance metrics and produced an inaccurate representation of its delay rate.

The airline also questioned why the NCAA began its monthly flight-delay data series with August rather than July, following the publication of its first- and second-quarter reports on July 31. “It is indeed worrisome that there is still no equivalent monthly data located for July, yet NCAA published unusually granular August airline delay data only 13 days after month-end,” Air Peace said.

According to the airline, the August report should have acknowledged the extraordinary operational disruptions caused by external factors during the month, particularly the industrial action by aviation unions. It said disruptions arising from the August 11 picketing of the airline by union members lingered for more than 14 days, resulting in flight rescheduling, delays and cancellations.

Air Peace said its internal review showed that 391 flights, representing only 15 per cent of its delays in August, were caused by internal factors, largely technical issues requiring unscheduled maintenance and fuel-related challenges. The majority of its delays, it said, resulted from factors outside its control, including airport congestion, bird strikes, airport infrastructure deficiencies, adverse weather, union disruptions and damage to its aircraft by a ground-handling company. Airport congestion and traffic alone accounted for more than 51 per cent of its external delays, with aircraft frequently held on the ground or placed in holding patterns because of infrastructure and airport capacity constraints.

The carrier also cited bird strikes as a major operational challenge. It disclosed that one of its aircraft, 5N-BYG, was struck by a bird in Abuja, damaging its inlet cowl and requiring repairs estimated at $1.8 million. The aircraft, which normally operates a minimum of eight sectors daily and carries about 1,000 passengers, was removed from service for more than a week before the damaged inlet cowl was replaced. Air Peace added that deficiencies and unexpected breakdowns in airport facilities affected boarding and departure timelines, while adverse weather conditions led to mandatory safety holds and diversions. A single diversion, it noted, could result in nearly three hours of delay, with consequential disruptions to subsequent flights.

The airline said it nevertheless continued to provide support to affected passengers, including hotel accommodation in cases arising from external disruptions. It also blamed the unprecedented picketing by aviation unions, which it said disrupted operations for more than 14 days, and damage to one of its aircraft by a ground-handling company, which kept the aircraft out of active service for a similar period.

“Again, the narrative that Air Peace is primarily responsible for these delays is completely false,” the airline said. “The majority of the delays experienced by our passengers were driven by external factors and completely outside of our control. In stark contrast, delays caused by internal operational factors accounted for just 15 per cent of the total delays experienced during the month of August.”

Air Peace said it had invested heavily in fleet expansion, crew availability, training and maintenance protocols, adding that it remained committed to safety, improved on-time performance and passenger satisfaction. It, however, said airlines could not safely or logistically bypass airport congestion, inadequate infrastructure, adverse weather and other systemic operational constraints. The airline urged the NCAA to review its data collection methodology to ensure that future reports accurately reflect airlines’ operational volumes, delay causal factors and the wider operating environment in the Nigerian aviation sector. “We have restrained ourselves from making these facts public before now but we have now been pushed beyond acceptable limits, hence the need to go public and state the facts the way they are,” Air Peace said.