Kano prince demands sanction against Air Peace for alleged disrespect to Emir

Airline denies allegation

A Kano prince, Isa Bayero, has petitioned the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) demanding punitive measures against a local carrier, Air Peace Airline for what he considered “flagrant show of disrespect to Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero.

Bayero lamented that Airpeace management flagrantly turned down the emir’s request to delay the Lagos-Kano scheduled flight after bearing untold delay of the same carrier from Banjul, Gambia to Lagos.

In a complaint letter addressed to the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, the cousin to Emir of Kano, explained that for no substantive reason, the airline delayed the first class chief and nine others on his entourage from Banjul to Lagos.

According to Bayero, the emir was personally insulted for denied the opportunity to connect with the same Air Peace to Kano, after late arrival to Lagos, at about 30 minutes to departure of the Lagos-Kano flight.

“Our departure on Air Peace flight no. P47776 from Banjul to Lagos was scheduled for 00:10hrs (local time) on February 24, 2022. However, we departed Banjul at 01:19hrs and we landed at Lagos at 5:45am.

“Our connecting flight to Kano on the same Air Peace airline was for 6:15hrs. This gave us only 30 minutes to make our flight to Kano. After realising that, it was an impossibility to do that, I called Chief Allen Onyeama, the Chairman of the airline with whom I am acquainted, I informed him of our precarious situation and further requested him to assist by delaying their departing flight to Kano as a mark of respect to the revered emir of Kano.

“He 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. It was through no fault of ours that our flight from Banjul was delayed, hence, our late arrival in Lagos. This is a clear fault of the airline,” Bayero maintained.

While lamenting the untold inconveniences the unfortunate situation has caused the emir, Bayero worried that the airline had also demanded a no show fees for a rebooking of next flight to Kano, a request the prince described as “extreme case of insensitivity and callousness”.

Bayero, in the petition requested NCAA DG intervention for restitution and appropriate measures to curtail ” unwholesome development from happening in the future”.

Meanwhile, the local carrier has denied allegation of disrespectful act against the emir. The airline, however, insisted that action taken was rather considered to protect the image of the traditional ruler and the repute of the carrier.

A statement signed by Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace Ltd, Toyin Olajide, said rather than to delay the flight as requested by prince Bayero, and face the ridiculous tendencies from the passengers, the airline as considered the option taken as best decision to protect the image of the monarch.

“How could Isa Bayero want the management of Air Peace to stop and delay a fully boarded plane with doors already shut and aircraft already moving while our respected Emir and eight others in his entourage, include Isa Bayero, were still at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos after arriving from Banjul,” he said.