Emir of Kano demands apology from Air Peace as controversy trails monarch’s flight delay

The Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, on Saturday demanded an apology from Air Peace following a disagreement over flight schedule.

The monarch’s flight from Banjul, The Gambia, was delayed by the airline over adjustment in the flight schedule.

The Emir’s Chief Protocol Officer, Isah Bayero, who addressed journalists in Kano, asked Air Peace to apologise to the monarch within 72 hours or risk losing passengers in the state.

Bayero said Air Peace disrespected Ado-Bayero by delaying his flight from Banjul to Lagos and refusing to fly him by direct flights to Kano or Abuja.

He said contrary to the airline’s claims that it offered an alternative flight, the Emir and his entourage were delayed by one hour despite arriving the airport 30 minutes before take-off time in Banjul.

READ ALSO: Why I dethroned Sanusi as Emir of Kano – Ganduje

The protocol officer added that Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, was contacted after the Emir’s entourage arrived Lagos to arrange a direct flight, but declined the request.

Bayero said: “We booked our tickets on that aircraft and anybody that is familiar with international flight understands what is on-transit passengers and that passenger has priority more than any other passenger on board.

“For delaying us from Banjul, which caused our arriving late to Lagos, Air Peace has the moral duty to accommodate or take care of us. Unfortunately, there was no option or offer to ease our situation, only for us to be left stranded.”

Air Peace had earlier dismissed the Kano Emirates claim on the monarch’s disrespect.

In a statement issued on Friday by its Chief Operating Officer, Mrs .Toyin Olajide, the airline reaffirmed its respect for the monarch.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a written complaint by one Isa Bayero to the DG of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) against Air Peace and which is published in the public domain.

“In the complaint, Mr. Isa Bayero alleged that Air Peace disrespected the Emir of Kano and the people of Kano by not delaying the Airline’s 6:15 a.m. flight to Kano for the Emir! Rather than disrespect the reverred Emir of Kano, Air Peace did all that it could to protect the name and image of the emir from ridicule by not succumbing to what Isa Bayero demanded of the airline.

“If the Airline had agreed to halt and delay an aircraft already set to go – for another one hour – only for the door to be opened and the Emir and his entourage walk in, there would have been a very serious uproar in the media nationwide against both the airline and the Emir.

“This we pleaded with Isa Bayero to understand, but he refused to accept.

“How could Isa Bayero want the management of Air Peace to halt and delay a fully boarded aircraft with doors shut and aircraft already moving, while our respected Emir and eight others in his entourage, including Isa Bayero, were still when I reported this statement to the Chairman, he did not believe me and insinuated that I might not have heard him rightly, because Isa Bayero was well acquainted with him and could not have said such.”

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