ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Senate on Thursday cleared Air Peace, of any fault in the July 13 runway incident at the Port Harcourt International Airport, stating that claims of drug and alcohol consumption by its pilots were based on inconsistent and uncoordinated conclusions from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
This decision, coming after a major investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on Aviation, follows fears that the NSIB’s preliminary findings which first alleged that multiple Air Peace crew members tested positive for alcohol and cannabis before later narrowing the claim to only two individuals could harm Nigeria’s aviation reputation internationally.
After the session, the Committee Chairman, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, cautioned that such contradictions in the NSIB report could damage the credibility of Nigeria’s air safety standards if left unresolved.
“You can see that, unfortunately, most of those allegations are not true,” Buhari stated. “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.”
Representing Oyo North, Buhari confirmed that the aircraft involved in the Air Peace runway excursion did not sustain damage and flew back to Lagos the same day.
He applauded Air Peace and other Nigerian airlines for maintaining random drug checks and safety protocols, stressing that the country should encourage rather than destroy its own aviation operators.
“Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are our own. We need to support them, not damage their reputation with unverified claims,” he added. “The most important thing is that no lives were lost, and the aircraft was not damaged.”
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He further hinted that the Senate could soon propose a law that would require public agencies and government officials to make use of Nigerian-owned airlines as a way to strengthen the domestic aviation industry.
Earlier, Air Peace Chairman/CEO, Allen Onyema, who appeared before the committee, described the initial NSIB account as distorted and damaging to the airline’s global reputation.
“I initially did not want to honour this invitation,” he said. “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 stressed that the runway excursion was caused by human error and not a technical malfunction.
He explained, “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 the seriousness of Air Peace’s internal safety compliance, noting that he once grounded eight aircraft in one day because of a maintenance oversight.
“We could have hidden it, but we reported it ourselves to the NCAA. That is how seriously we take safety,” he said.
The closed-door segment of the hearing went on into the night, with lawmakers expected to submit a formal report to the entire Senate in the coming weeks.
It is expected that the report will recommend stronger coordination among aviation authorities and clearer public communication after incidents.
This Senate action comes two months after intense public debate surrounding NSIB’s toxicology claims that a co-pilot and a cabin crew member in the Port Harcourt incident tested positive for alcohol and THC allegations both individuals have since publicly denied.