Air Peace Writes Back As Nollywood’s Funke Akindele Spits Fire Over Delayed UK Flight
Nigerian flag flier Air Peace after famous Nollywood Actor and Producer Funke Akindele slammed the airline for delaying a Nigerian-bound flight at Gatwick, London, UK, without making adequate plans for the comfort of stranded passengers.
The airline blamed bird strike for the disrupted flight and claimed it made provisions to ameliorate the effect of its customers.
Clearly irritated about the hours of delay, Akindele had taken to social handle around 4pm and posted:
“Air Peace, this is unacceptable. Passengers (including elderly people) have been stranded since 6:30AM at London Gatwick Airport with no proper communication. After hours of delay, we were told there was a bird strike and promised a hotel. Hours later, people are still sitting at baggage claim hungry, exhausted, and without their bags.
“Elderly passengers are struggling. Families are tired. No clear updates. No support. Release passengers’ luggage immediately and provide the hotel you promised.
“Do something NOW.”
Responding to the outcry, tweeted a message directly to the Actress, apologising for the incident and saying:
“Dear Funke @funkeakindele, we sincerely empathize with you over this experience and all inconveniences this has caused to your travel plans.
“Such actions are never intentional as we prioritize safety and operational efficiency, and while we strive for on-time departures, certain factors beyond our control can sometimes cause delays.
“Rest assured our team are working at the moment to provide all affected passengers with the adequate assistance.
“Please bear with us during this time.”
The matter did not end there as the company later issued a statement to the general public, titled: “AIR PEACE CLARIFIES GATWICK–LAGOS DISRUPTION, REAFFIRMS PASSENGER CARE AND SAFETY COMMITMENT.”
The statement read in full:
“Our attention has been drawn to a video making the rounds on social media alleging that passengers on our London (Gatwick) to Lagos service today, May 1, 2026, were stranded without communication and provision of necessary care.
“We would like to provide clarity on the situation, as this narrative does not accurately reflect the full circumstances surrounding the disruption.
“The affected flight experienced a bird strike, which is a recognised “force majeure” event in aviation, necessitating the immediate grounding of the aircraft for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards. At Air Peace, safety is not negotiable, and under no circumstance would we operate an aircraft without the required safety clearance.
“Following this development, affected passengers were promptly informed of the incident and the cancellation of the service, and arrangements were made for their comfort, including hotel accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in London, Gatwick as well as necessary transit coordination.
“However, we encountered additional operational constraints, including airport congestion and delays from ground handling services responsible for baggage retrieval. These factors affected the timely retrieval of passengers’ checked baggage, which in turn impacted the speed at which some passengers were transferred to their hotels
“It is important to note that baggage handling at international airports is managed by designated ground handling companies, operating within strict airport procedures and regulatory protocols. As such, Air Peace does not exercise direct control over these processes, and all baggage retrieval must follow established due process.
“At no point were passengers abandoned. Communication was maintained with all affected passengers, and every effort was made to ensure their welfare throughout the disruption. We can confirm that all passengers were offered hotel accommodation at the Hilton London Gatwick, and those who elected to accept have now been accommodated, while we finalise arrangements for the deployment of another aircraft to complete the service.
“We recognise that aviation disruptions can be distressing, and we remain empathetic to the inconvenience experienced by our esteemed passengers. However, it is important to emphasise that aviation operations are not “plug and play.” They involve multiple stakeholders, layered safety protocols, and strict regulatory compliance, particularly in situations involving force majeure events such as bird strikes.
“While we respect the right of passengers to express their concerns, we find the ongoing negative hounding of our airline over a safety-driven, force majeure incident to be shocking and unwarranted, especially in light of the timely announcements and necessary updates made by the Captain of the flight to all affected passengers, as well as the responsible and proactive steps taken to ensure passenger safety, communication, and overall care throughout the disruption.
“Air Peace remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety, comfort, and overall well-being of our passengers, and we will continue to review our processes to further enhance our service delivery during unforeseen disruptions.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers and the flying public.”
