The management of Air Peace has denied that it owes the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, averring that the claims of agency is false information aimed at tarnishing its good corporate image.
Manager, Corporate Communications, Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah, explained that FAAN had claimed in a demand notice to the airline dated May 19, 2017, that Air Peace was owing it a total of N7.37 million comprising landing and parking charges of N6.8million and electricity bill of N574, 919.
He said, “We have made two separate payments. The first payment being a bank draft of N2.83million on May 25, 2017 and another payment of N3 million in favour of FAAN on the Remita platform on May 31, 2017. The carrier had furnished FAAN with the pieces of evidence of the two separate payments it made.”
The airline alleged that it got reliable information that FAAN had recruited several groups to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower its corporate reputation in the estimation of rightthinking members of the public.
“We alerted members of the public to the shutdown of our flight operations by the manager of the Enugu airport over a claim of N7 million debt. Upon realising its error, FAAN admitted that we were not owing it and apologised for the disruption of our flights and the inconveniences caused our esteemed guests whose flights were consequently delayed.
“While we were still trying to manage the crisis caused by the Enugu incident, we learnt on good authority that FAAN had recruited different groups lacking in credibility to attack our corporate image, rather than being genuinely remorseful for its illegal action that disrupted our operations, beginning from 5.30 a.m. when our staff resumed for duty at the facility.
“One of the hired groups circulated false information to the media on Sunday, alleging that the payments we made in favour of FAAN were yet to reflect and that the reckless disruption of our operations only lasted for 43 minutes.
“We consider this futile attempt to alter the shameful narrative and further tarnish our excellent corporate image a clear afterthought. FAAN cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time.
The authority had confirmed to the media on Friday that we were not indebted to it and that the heedless action of its Enugu manager was a product of gross error,” he added.
According to him, it is puerile for FAAN to justify its shameful action in Enugu on our alleged failure to make payment after several reminders. Rather than working tirelessly to bring down a responsible corporate citizen as Air Peace, he said FAAN should channel its newfound energy towards positive efforts that would aid the survival of the nation’s airlines.
“The airlines have to exist for FAAN to survive. We urge the Federal Government to urgently call the authority to order before it inflicts more damage on the nation’s aviation sector. We also demand an unreserved apology from FAAN for deliberately tarnishing our image or risk our resolve to resort to all legal means to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion,” the airline said.
