A socio-cultural group, the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC), has warned operators in the aviation industry against what the youths described as “unhealthy competition aimed at sabotaging rival airlines.”
The youths said the warning had become necessary in view of “a misleading and injurious publication” claiming that some 13 Nigerian airlines, including Air Peace, widely seen as the nation’s premium carrier, had been blacklisted by international aircraft lessors on grounds of contract breaches.
In a statement by the group’s National Coordinator, Jator Abido and made available to newsmen in Abuja, including Daily Query’s Ndujihe Ugwu, NDYC insisted that there was no truth in the alleged contract breaches publication against Nigerian airline, in particular Air Peace, maintaining that “Air Peace, Nigeria’s airline of choice and other airlines are not blacklisted as alleged.”.
“The aviation sector is crucial to our economy and particularly in the Niger Delta region where a lot of economic activities involving expatriates are domiciled. It was therefore necessary for us to immediately verify the authenticity of the claim, especially as it touched on a very key player in the industry with a huge presence in our region,” the statement read, in part, referring to Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, reputed as a key contributor to the Niger Delta peace process that culminated in the historic Niger Delta Amnesty deal signed in 2009 between the federal government of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and the Niger Delta militants and leading to the current peace enjoyed in the hitherto volatile Niger Delta region.
“Sadly enough, no such thing has happened as our investigation has revealed that those behind this fabrication are those who are intimidated by the towering business success of Air Peace and other airlines who are breaking into international destinations and gaining momentum by the day.
“We frown at such barbaric tactics employed by other airlines operating in Nigeria, including international carriers and beseech the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other regulators to act fast to forestall future occurrence as this is capable of causing panic amongst air travelers with adverse effects on the economy.”
The group said it was regrettable that “since Air Peace went global and took business control over the London route and other promising international destinations, ending the cycle of exploitation of Nigerians, the airline has come under a series of attacks especially by international carriers.”
“This fresh media attack is not different from the price war launched by international airlines earlier in the year to put Air Peace out of business. The whole talk about contract breaches between lessors and the targeted Nigerian airlines is nothing but a decoy to create panic and reduce ticket sales,” NDYC pointed out..
“If not a mischievous plot orchestrated to harm the reputation of burgeoning airlines, how could one explain the fact that lessors to over 13 airlines sat and decided to blacklist them at the same time?
“Even if this was to happen, did all the airlines breach their contract agreements at the same time? Can two contracts even be the same? This and many more questions beg for answers,” the youths maintained in the statement”.
Urging Nigerians not to fall for “the cheap blackmail from desperate competitors and continue to patronise Nigerian airlines, especially Air Peace for both local and international travels,” the Niger Delta group assured that “there is no atom of truth in the purported blacklisting of Nigerian airlines.”
“Fellow Nigerians, let us not fall to the cheap blackmail and propaganda that’s been peddled by our enemies. They simply want to push airlines like Air Peace out of business so they can resume their exploitation of innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians. Air Peace specifically owns most of its aircrafts and cannot just be blacklisted by a lessor,” the group appealed.
“Let us join outstanding individuals and institutions like the Nigerian Army in honouring and supporting the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema for his service to Nigeria. We must grow Nigeria and patronise Nigeria to build and strengthen our economy,” the statement noted.
