Air Peace Airlines threatens to sue FAAN over alleged indebtedness, defamation

Air Peace Airlines yesterday threatened to sue the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over alleged false claims of indebtedness and attempts to discredit the airlines among the public.

The airlines said whereas it had paid N7 million owed FAAN over use of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the airport authority has continued to deny receiving pay and allegedly set some workers against the airlines.

Air Peace, therefore, demanded 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.”

Spokesperson of FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, when contacted on phone, said details of the issue were still being gathered and the authority would react soon. FAAN was yet to react as at press time.

The Corporate Communications Manager of the airlines, Chris Iwarah, yesterday alleged that FAAN had recruited some groups in the aviation sector to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower the airlines’ corporate reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.

Iwarah, who insisted that the debt had been paid, with evidence sent to FAAN and the authority in return had apologised for the disruption of operations, said: “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 members of 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.”