Outrage as Air Peace passengers stranded in London

By Dickson Omobola

West Africa’s largest airline, Air Peace, Friday, came under fire on X, formerly Twitter, over what passengers describe as poor communication by the carrier.

The criticism followed complaints by Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, who called out the airline for allegedly leaving passengers stranded at London Gatwick Airport without proper updates since 6:30am.

Akindele, in a post shared on X, wrote: “Air Peace, this is unacceptable. Passengers (including elderly people) have been stranded since 6:30AM at London Gatwick Airport with no proper communication. After hours of delay, we were told there was a bird strike and promised a hotel. Hours later, people are still sitting at baggage claim hungry, exhausted, and without their bags.

“Elderly passengers are struggling. Families are tired. No clear updates. No support. Release passengers’ luggage immediately and provide the hotel you promised. Do something now.”

Reacting, Air Peace stated: “Dear Funke, we sincerely empathise with you over this experience and all inconveniences this has caused to your travel plans.

“Such actions are never intentional as we prioritise safety and operational efficiency, and while we strive for on-time departures, certain factors beyond our control can sometimes cause delays. Rest assured our team is working at the moment to provide all affected passengers with adequate assistance. Please bear with us during this time.”

Meanwhile, passengers were unsatisfied with the airline’s response, with many urging the airline to modify its mode of operations.

An X user, Olamide stated: “Flight from Lagos to Gatwick today has also been cancelled for the same bird strike excuse by Air Peace. This seems to be a flimsy excuse issued when they are not fully booked.”

Setin Hunkokoe wrote: “From Lagos to Benin to London you don’t have any good service. Your customer service is terrible. Never ever again.”

FCA stated: “You always sincerely apologise. When will a black man actually do something with excellence. Yes, there could be unforeseen circumstances, but at least communicate and take care of your customers. It is not hard!”