Air Peace has questioned discrepancies in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) August 2026 flight delay report, saying only 15% of its delays were caused by internal factors.
The airline said the NCAA flight delay report did not accurately reflect its operational volume or properly contextualise the factors behind its disruptions. Air Peace maintained that the presentation of the figures could make the airline bear responsibility for delays largely caused by circumstances outside its control.
In a statement attributed to Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace Limited, Oluwatoyin Olajide, the airline said it operated 2,564 flights in August 2026, compared with 1,864 flights stated in the NCAA report.
Air Peace said the difference meant more than 700 operational flights were missing from the regulator’s data pool. According to the airline, this omission affected the performance calculations and inflated the reported delay percentages.
“By omitting over 700 fully operational flights from the data pool, the NCAA’s calculations skew our actual performance metrics and artificially inflate the reported delay percentages,” the airline said.
The airline also questioned why the NCAA began its monthly flight delay report series with August rather than July. Air Peace noted that the move followed the publication of the first and second-quarter reports on 31 July.
“It is indeed worrisome that there is still no equivalent monthly data located for July, yet the NCAA published unusually granular August airline delay data only 13 days after month-end,” Air Peace said.
The airline further questioned why the August report did not identify the circumstances surrounding the delays attributed to individual carriers. Air Peace said August included an extraordinary aviation-sector industrial disruption that significantly affected its operations.
According to the airline, the disruption initiated by aviation union members on 11 August continued to affect its operations for more than 14 days. Air Peace said the disruption led to rescheduling, avoidable delays and cancellations.
The airline therefore questioned:
“Why was this flight delay report published rapidly without identifying the causes of the delays attributed to individual airlines instead of publishing wrong figures that could tarnish the reputation of the airline despite prevailing operational challenges?”
Flight delay report disputed over internal and external factors
Air Peace said the central issue was not simply the number of delayed flights but how the causes of those delays were classified.
The airline said an internal review of its August 2026 flight performance showed that 391 flights, representing 15% of the delays experienced during the month, were caused by internal factors.
“From the above, only 391 flights should be attributed to Air Peace, which represents 15% of the delays in that month,” the airline said.
Air Peace said the remaining delays resulted from external factors and maintained that it had data to support its position.
The airline said its internal delay factors were largely linked to technical issues that resulted in unscheduled aircraft maintenance and fuel-related issues. However, it said the major disruptions came from circumstances outside the airline’s control.
Air Peace identified airport congestion and traffic as the largest external factor. It said heavy tarmac and traffic congestion accounted for more than 51% of its external delays.
According to the airline, aircraft were frequently held on the ground or placed in holding patterns because of infrastructure capacity limits. Air Peace said these conditions contributed significantly to the flight delay report of August.
The airline also cited deficiencies and unexpected breakdowns in airport facilities.
Bird strikes added to Air Peace disruptions
Air Peace also identified bird strikes as another external factor affecting its operations.
The airline said unpredictable wildlife hazards, particularly bird strikes during take-off and landing, forced unscheduled aircraft inspections and safety checks. According to Air Peace, these incidents disrupted aircraft rotations.
The airline cited aircraft 5N-BYG, which it said was struck by a bird in Abuja. Air Peace said the impact damaged the inlet cowl beyond acceptable limits and cost USD1.8 million to repair.
Weather and diversions compounded delays
Unfavourable weather conditions were also identified by the carrier as a major external factor during August.
“One flight diversion could result in almost three hours’ delay. How is the consequential delay Air Peace’s fault?” the airline asked.
The airline also said it continued to take care of affected passengers when disruptions resulted from external events.
Union action and ground damage cited
Air Peace also listed the unprecedented picketing of the airline by aviation union members among the factors affecting its operations.
The airline said the union action disrupted its flight operations for more than 14 days. It maintained that the effects contributed to the delays, rescheduling and cancellations experienced during the month.
The carrier stated, “Again, the narrative that Air Peace is primarily responsible for these delays is completely false,” the airline said.
“The majority of the delays experienced by our passengers were driven by external factors and completely outside of our control.”
Air Peace says it will address internal delays
Air Peace said it had previously restrained itself from making its internal analysis public. However, it said the circumstances surrounding the publication of the NCAA flight delay report had prompted it to state its position.
The airline said it would continue to optimise its internal processes to mitigate the factors responsible for delays within its control. However, it maintained that airlines cannot safely or logistically bypass severe airport congestion, inadequate airport infrastructure, sunset restrictions or adverse weather.
It urged the NCAA to review and audit its data collection methods.The airline said future flight delay reports should accurately reflect the correct flight data and the causal factors behind delays, as well as the operational environment of the Nigerian aviation sector.
The airline’s position is that the August flight delay report does not accurately capture its operational performance because of discrepancies in flight volumes and the treatment of delay causes.
