Air Peace counters NCAA report, says only 15% flights delayed

Air Peace has disputed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority's (NCAA) August 2026 flight disruption report, asserting that only 15 percent of its flights were delayed due to internal operational issues during that month. The airline refuted the NCAA's figures, claiming that it operated 2,564 flights in August, not the 1,864 reported by the regulator.

Air Peace criticized the NCAA's report for containing "fundamental data inaccuracies" related to its operational volume and for failing to identify the true factors behind the recorded delays. The airline argued that omitting over 700 flights from the NCAA's data pool skewed its performance metrics and misrepresented its delay rate.

Air Peace also questioned the NCAA's decision to begin its monthly flight-delay data series with August instead of July, following the publication of its first and second-quarter reports on July 31. The airline noted the absence of July's data in the NCAA's report, published 13 days after the month ended. Air Peace further highlighted the significant impact of external factors, such as industrial action by aviation unions and infrastructure deficiencies, on its delays.

The airline claimed that 391 flights, representing 15 percent of its August delays, were caused by internal factors, primarily technical issues and fuel-related challenges. However, it emphasized that the majority of its delays resulted from external factors, including airport congestion, bird strikes, adverse weather, and damage to its aircraft.

Air Peace called on the NCAA to review its data collection methodology to ensure future reports accurately reflect airlines' operational volumes, delay causal factors, and the broader operating environment in the Nigerian aviation sector.