By Dickson Omobola
Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has denied allegations that it collaborated with the Bola Tinubu administration to mislead the public over the proposed Lagos–São Paulo, Brazil, direct flight.
The allegations followed a report claiming that Nigerians living in Brazil accused both the Federal Government and Air Peace of deceiving them with what they described as a false promise to commence direct flights between both cities.
According to the report, the aggrieved Nigerians alleged that despite the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed between both countries in August 2025, the proposed service has yet to materialise.
However, Air Peace management, while rejecting the claims, described them as a deliberate attempt to malign the airline and federal government. Spokesperson for Air Peace, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, in a statement, said the airline was still engaging relevant Nigerian authorities, cooperating with Brazilian government and working with stakeholders in Brazil to bring the operation to fruition.
The statement reads: “The allegation of a scam is false, sensational, and dishonest. At no time did Air Peace or the federal government of Nigeria defraud Nigerians in Brazil or elsewhere regarding the Lagos–São Paulo route.
“A Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, is not a flight launch. An MoU is a statement of intent between governments to deepen bilateral cooperation. It is neither a ticket sale nor a flight schedule, and it does not constitute a guarantee of immediate commencement of operations. In aviation practice, several mandatory processes must be concluded after an MoU before any flight can operate.
“No Nigerian was stranded by Air Peace. No tickets were sold, no booking platform was opened, and no flight date was announced. It is therefore illogical to claim that passengers were stranded by a flight that was never placed on sale. What exists here is self-imposed expectation, not deception.
“International long-haul operations require multiple regulatory and operational approvals that cannot be fast-tracked by publicity or political goodwill. These include, but are not limited to Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, implementation frameworks; approval from Brazil’s civil aviation authority, ANAC; slot allocations at São Paulo airports; safety, insurance, and ETOPS certifications; and Aircraft deployment planning and route economics.
“On the issue of capacity, Air Peace has the requisite equipment to operate the route. The airline currently has four Boeing 777-200/300 aircraft in its fleet. Two are deployed on the London Heathrow and London Gatwick routes, while the remaining two are on standby for deployment to other long-haul destinations, including São Paulo, upon completion of all regulatory and commercial processes.
“Until these requirements are fully met, no responsible airline would announce ticket sales or commence operations. Air Peace never made a binding commercial commitment to a fixed commencement date. Statements of intention or optimism must not be misrepresented as guarantees. Airlines routinely study and prepare international routes for extended periods before launch. By way of example, Air Peace’s London operations took approximately seven years from conception to execution.
“Blaming Air Peace for the high cost of connecting international flights is baseless. Air Peace does not control foreign airlines or global pricing structures. The existence of an MoU does not, and cannot, automatically reduce international airfares.
“Air Peace considers this report a deliberate act of blackmail against the airline and the Federal Government of Nigeria, sponsored by vested interests within Nigeria.
“For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the public, as of today, Air Peace remains the only airline in Nigeria and the West African sub-region with the capacity to undertake transoceanic flight operations using its own wide-body fleet. This reality explains the sustained smear campaign targeted at the airline and, by extension, the Nigerian government.
“It is important to state that Air Peace commenced the processes toward the Lagos–São Paulo route as far back as last year. The airline has been engaging relevant Nigerian authorities, cooperating with the Brazilian government, and working with stakeholders in Brazil to bring the operation to fruition.
“All required processes must be fully concluded before the commencement of flights. Aviation is not a cut-and-paste business, and the safety of passengers, crew, and equipment remains a sine qua non.
“It is unacceptable for individuals or groups to attempt to undermine a Nigerian business through falsehoods and media manipulation in the hope of gaining a competitive advantage—one that will never materialise.”
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