A Nigerian Air Peace airline flight deployed to evacuate stranded Nigerians in the UK has been denied landing rights. A statement released by the Nigerian high commission in London on Sunday. The evacuation flights from London Heathrow to Abuja and Lagos will now depart on Tuesday, July 14 on a partner airline.
On Saturday, 270 Nigerians and two Egyptian nationals were evacuated from Cairo; one amongst many evacuation flights that have already been carried out.
The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, made this known via his verified twitter handle on Sunday following the denial of landing rights to Air Peace at London’s Heathrow Airport. Onyeama, however, urged aggrieved Nigerians not to protest, but be grateful to Air Peace for providing alternative arrangements to ensure their successful evacuation in spite of the challenges.
“Having been allowed to carry out one very successful evacuation of Nigerians from London at very low fares, Air Peace in coordination with the Nigerian Government and full knowledge of the UK authorities scheduled two additional flights.
“All the arrangements were made including payments, only for the UK authorities to withdraw landing rights close to departure despite strong representations by the Nigerian Government, including pointing out the hardship that would be caused to hundreds of Nigerian evacuees,” he said.
Onyeama said Air Peace could have just refunded the passengers, but exceptionally, patriotically and altruistically agreed to find an alternative carrier acceptable to the UK authorities. This, according to the minister, Air Peace did to carry out the evacuation a day later than scheduled, but for much higher fares. He said these higher fares could legitimately have been passed on to the evacuees, but Air Peace bore this huge cost itself.
“This is to let the aggrieved evacuees know that the objects of their grievance should neither be Air Peace nor the Nigerian Government.
“They should rather be eternally grateful to Air Peace. “The Nigerian Government will review its Air agreements with various countries as a result of the unacceptable treatment of Nigerian carriers during this pandemic,” Onyeama said.
The evacuation of stranded Nigerians was rescheduled from July 13 to July 14, with the departure airport changed from Heathrow to Gatwick Airport, London. This, however, generated an outcry from some stranded Nigerians who blamed Air Peace Airline and the Federal Government for the inconveniences.
