UK CAA Flags Air Peace for Aviation Safety Violations
The United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) has formally alerted Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to alleged violations of aviation safety regulations by Air Peace. This development comes just three months after the Nigerian airline commenced its Lagos-London route.
The UK CAA forwarded two mandatory occurrence reports to the NCAA, highlighting safety issues encountered during inspections. These reports, titled “United Kingdom SAFA Ramp Inspection Report” (Reference: CAA-UK-2024-0217) and “NATS Management System Safety Report,” cite specific regulatory breaches.
In response, the NCAA has requested Air Peace to provide clarifications. The NCAA’s letter, dated May 14, 2024, with reference number NCAA/DOLTS/APL/Vol.11/03624, was signed by the General Manager of Operations, Capt. O.O. Lawani. It stated that the UK CAA raised concerns over the airline’s lack of operational approval for Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) functions crucial for safe navigation. The report noted that the aircraft captain admitted using an EFB without proper mounting, charging points, or backup batteries.
Air Peace recently began operating flights to London Gatwick from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport under a Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and the UK.
Efforts to reach Air Peace’s spokesperson, Stanley Olisa, for comments were unsuccessful. When contacted, Olisa did not respond to inquiries, and follow-up text messages went unanswered at the time of reporting.
