Senate Clears Air Peace in Runway Overrun Incident
The Nigerian Senate has cleared the country’s largest airline, Air Peace, of any wrongdoing in the July 13 runway overrun incident at Port Harcourt International Airport. The decision came after a detailed investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on Aviation, which concluded that allegations of drug and alcohol use by pilots were based on “inconsistent and uncoordinated” findings by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
This move follows growing concerns that the NSIB’s preliminary report, which initially accused several Air Peace crew members of testing positive for alcohol and cannabis, could harm Nigeria’s aviation reputation before global regulators.
Senate Committee Addresses Discrepancies
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, emphasized the need to address discrepancies in the NSIB report to maintain confidence in Nigeria’s air safety rating. He stated:
“You can see that, unfortunately, most of those allegations are not true. The report was disjointed and not coordinated. You don’t accuse people wrongly, especially in aviation, where ICAO and other international laboratories are monitoring us closely.”
Buhari, representing Oyo North, noted that the Senate’s review confirmed that the Air Peace aircraft suffered no damage during the runway excursion and was able to return to Lagos the same day. He commended Air Peace and other domestic carriers for their random drug testing and internal safety protocols, urging the country to “encourage rather than destroy” indigenous airlines.
“Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are our own. We need to support them, not damage their reputation with unverified claims. The most important thing is that no lives were lost, and the aircraft was not damaged.”
Potential Legislative Changes
Buhari also mentioned that the Senate may soon introduce legislation mandating federal agencies and government officials to patronize Nigerian airlines as part of efforts to strengthen the local aviation sector.
Air Peace Responds to Allegations
Earlier, Allen Onyema, Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, appeared before the committee and described the initial NSIB narrative as misleading and harmful to the airline’s global standing. He stated:
“I initially did not want to honour this invitation, but on second thought, I came because the Senate members are our customers, and they have every right to be concerned about safety. I must, however, correct certain impressions created by the NSIB’s handling of this matter.”
Onyema emphasized that the incident was due to human error, not mechanical failure. He added:
“The aircraft in question had no single damage. It flew back to Lagos the same day. The pilot has flown for nearly 40 years — one of the most experienced in our fleet. He simply had a bad day.”
He also highlighted Air Peace’s strict internal compliance culture, recalling that he once grounded eight aircraft in one day after discovering a maintenance error.
“We could have hidden it, but we reported it ourselves to the NCAA. That is how seriously we take safety.”
Ongoing Investigations and Future Steps
The closed-door part of the hearing continued late into the evening, with lawmakers expected to present a final report to the full Senate in the coming weeks. The report is anticipated to call for clearer coordination among aviation regulators and more transparent communication following incidents.
Background on the Controversy
The Senate intervention comes two months after widespread public controversy surrounding the NSIB’s toxicological test claims that a co-pilot and a cabin crew member involved in the Port Harcourt excursion tested positive for alcohol and THC. Both individuals have since publicly disputed these claims.