Air Peace, a Nigerian carrier, has refuted allegations suggesting that it left passengers stranded at Gatwick Airport in London on April 8, 2024, and closed its check-in counter prematurely due to overbooking concerns.
Addressing a video shared on social media levying the accusation, the airline vehemently refuted the claim, characterizing it as baseless and insinuating it was a calculated smear campaign aimed at besmirching its image.
The airline provided insight into Gatwick Airport’s operational framework, emphasizing the importance of the slot timing system. It clarified that check-in operations are coordinated based on these slots, enabling airlines to adhere to their designated times.
“Once your slot timing is up, you must vacate the counters for the next airline’s utilisation. The check-in process ends at 09:00 AM, as advised in the terms and conditions section of our e-ticket and website, and the counter was vacated by Air Peace in accordance with our slot allocation at 09:55 AM,” the airline said.
Read also: Air Peace: Analyst Warns Foreign Carriers Of Price Cut Or Exit
It added: “To prevent missed flights, we send multiple reminders to passengers before departure (24hrs, 14 hrs, and 6 hrs prior). Flight departure was scheduled for 11:10 am, and all processes adhered to this time.
Air Peace has swiftly countered rumors alleging flight overbooking, saying that such claims are unfounded.
They noted that both the UK and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities stand behind their assertion. Moreover, they pointed out the presence of vacant seats upon departure, serving as tangible evidence refuting any suggestion of overbooking.
“The claim of flight overbooking is untrue. Both the UK and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities can verify our manifest. Some seats were unoccupied on departure, proving no overbooking occurred.
“CCTV from Gatwick Airport shows when the passenger arrived at our counter and when the video was made. The late passenger paid the no-show fee and was rebooked on a subsequent flight, resolving the issue at the airport. Air Peace strives to serve passengers effectively but requires adherence to specific times for seamless travel.”