Air rage: Oshiomhole, Air Peace in fiery showdown

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, says he has lodged a complaint with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, against Air Peace, accusing the carrier of racketeering and unethical treatment of passengers.

Oshiomhole, who currently serves as senator representing the northern part of Edo, disclosed this to our correspondent on Wednesday after a scene played out at the Lagos airport where he missed his flight.

He allegedly arrived late at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (Zulu Hall), which made him miss his Air Peace scheduled flight.

He described the situation as a chaotic scenario, saying, “I think the only reason I am called now is because I am the only easily known face there, but honestly, the situation was more or less riotous in the morning around 6:00 am when I got to the airport. I will send you the message I sent the minister on this issue.”

The airline had earlier, through a statement, expressed strong condemnation of what it called a violent and disruptive behavior exhibited by the prominent Nigerian politician.

According to the airline, the incident occurred at approximately 6:10 am when the politician arrived late for a flight, scheduled to depart Lagos for Abuja at 6:30 am.

“In adherence to strict aviation protocols and the airline’s on-time departure policy, boarding for the flight had already closed, and the aircraft departed as scheduled,” the airline stated.

Upon being informed of the missed flight, Air Peace said the politician reacted violently, “physically assaulting airline personnel and proceeding to seal off the terminal’s main entrance. He then forcibly manned the access gate, blocking other passengers from entering the terminal and causing a major disruption to normal airport operations.”

Air Peace added that the unruly conduct, which was carried out before staff and passengers, caused the airline operational delays and widespread inconvenience.

Reacting to the airline, the ex-Edo governor recounted a series of troubling travel experiences, including repeated delays, flight cancellations, and alleged discriminatory practices at the airport, which he claims culminated in a chaotic situation on Wednesday.

According to him, the ordeal began last week when a scheduled Air Peace flight was delayed for over five hours before being ultimately cancelled.

A subsequent attempt to travel with Ibom Air also ended in disappointment when he was denied boarding despite his luggage being checked in by an aide.

“I got there early, but they told me boarding was over. My assistant was already there with our checked-in luggage, but they refused to issue him the boarding pass, insisting on seeing me in person. By the time I arrived, they said they had closed,” Oshiomhole said.

After he was left stranded, Oshiomole said he returned to a hotel with a visiting delegation from Ghana, incurring personal expenses of approximately N1.6m.

He said this was done after being assured by an Air Peace manager that he could rebook for a 6:30 am flight on Wednesday morning, and also advised to check in online, which he claimed to have done at 9:00 pm Tuesday.

Oshiomhole further stated that upon arrival at the airport, shortly before 6:00 am with his guests, he was told check-in had closed and the plane was already full.

“As I speak to you now, I’m still wearing yesterday’s clothes because my luggage has already left with my assistant. I showed them my online check-in and boarding pass, but they said the flight was full. That means they overbooked,” he stated.

The senator claimed that about 20 to 30 other passengers faced the same treatment, with airline staff demanding an additional N109,100 to reschedule them to an 8:30 am flight.

He added that, “They tried to give me special treatment, but I refused. What about the others who can’t afford that amount? It seems they are selling tickets at higher rates at the counter, disregarding those who booked earlier. That’s racketeering.”

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria did not respond to enquiries by our correspondent on the matter.