Senate Panel Grills Airline Operators, Stakeholders On Safery Standards

The Senate Committee on Aviation has sent strong signals to airline operators and stakeholders on the need for strict adherence to safety standards.

This was just as the chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyeama protested the singling out of his airline in an ongoing investigation on a recent incident of runway overshoot involving one of its commercial aircraft.

Trouble started during a public hearing on the July 13 incident in which some members of an Air Peace crew were alleged to have tested positive to banned drugs while on duty.

A pilot and a crew member were allegedly fingered in drug use following a near accident occurrence at the Port Harcourt airport.

Onyeama while answering questions from members of the committee, said the investigative hearing shouldn’t have centred on Air Peace alone, stressing that runway overshoots occur globally.

Onyeama said, “I initially did not want to honour this invitation. But on a second thought, I came because the Senate members are our customers, so they have every right to be concerned about safety.

“I must, however, correct certain impressions created by the title or topic used for this session .

“What we say here is being monitored globally. We must be careful not to impugn the integrity or destroy public trust in Nigerian airlines. Air Peace is one of the safest airlines in the world, not just in Nigeria.”

He clarified that aircraft in the air line’s fleet involved in the said incident suffered no mechanical fault or damage, and that the runway excursion was a result of human error.

“The aircraft in question had no single damage. It flew back to Lagos the same day. The pilot has flown for nearly 40 years — one of the most experienced in our fleet.

“He simply had a bad day. Unfortunately, the early report created confusion that made it appear as if the aircraft was faulty or the pilots were intoxicated.”

After exchange of words between the airline chief and members of the Senate committee, the hearing devolved into a closed session.

Emerging from the closed session, the chairman of the Senate Aviation committee, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, sounded a note of caution on safety standards.

Buhari said, “Senate’s review of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) report revealed serious inconsistencies and uncoordinated findings. This could damage Nigeria’s aviation reputation before international regulators if left uncorrected.

“Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are our own. We need to support them, not damage their reputation with unverified claims.

“The most important thing is that no lives were lost, and the aircraft was not damaged. It was towed and later flown back safely to Lagos.”

He commended Air Peace and other indigenous airlines for maintaining internal safety checks and conducting random testing of their pilots and staff.

The senator urged Nigerians to encourage local airlines for better performance rather than destroying them through unfounded allegations.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, who also appeared at the hearing, said the agency’s commitment to safety was tested during the Air Peace aircraft runway overrun incident on July 13, 2025.

According to her, the incident was swiftly responded to by the emergency team at the Port Harcourt airport.

Kuku said, “There were no reported injuries to the 96 passengers and the seven crew members onboard. Also, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated to the terminal building.

“The Runway was temporarily closed, in line with safety protocols, and coordination commenced with the NCAA and NAMA for investigation as well as internal safety review.”

But other critical stakeholders in the Aviation sector, like the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau ( NSIB), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) among others, told the committee that investigation on the incident had not been concluded.