The Senate Committee on Aviation has given Air Peace Airlines a clean bill of health over the July 13 runway overshoot incident at Port Harcourt International Airport, despite concerns from critical stakeholders in the aviation sector.
The committee’s decision followed a closed-door session with Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyeama, and other stakeholders, after Onyeama objected to the session’s focus on Air Peace alone. Onyeama argued that runway overshoots are a global phenomenon and that Airpeace was being unfairly singled out.
The committee’s chairman, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, said the Senate’s review of the NSIB report revealed inconsistencies and uncoordinated findings that could damage Nigeria’s aviation reputation. He commended Air Peace for maintaining internal safety checks and conducting random testing of pilots and staff.
Stakeholders, including FAAN, NSIB, and NCAA, had told the committee that investigations into the incident were still ongoing. However, the committee concluded that Air Peace was not at fault, citing that no lives were lost and the aircraft was not damaged.
FAAN’s Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, said the agency’s emergency response team had efficiently handled the incident, and that the runway was temporarily closed as a safety precaution.
