Air Peace dismisses suggestions safety procedures on its London to Lagos route are in question

AIR Peace has dismissed allegations by its detractors that there are question marks surrounding the operating of its London to Lagos route saying any claims that the safety of its activities were in question is simply untrue.

Yesterday, British aviation authorities reported Air Peace to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Abuja claiming that the airline has been violating safety regulations at Gatwick Airport where it operates its London-Lagos operation from. Apparently, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA) reported the airline to the NCAA, claiming it violated some safety regulations.

Upon receiving the report, the NCAA wrote to Air Peace, asking the airline to provide clarification on the issues raised by the UK regulator. In the letter, the NCAA said the UK CAA had called its attention to the no operational approval of electronic flight bag (EFB) functions affecting the safe operation of the aircraft, while adding that the captain of the flight admitted that an EFB was being used for navigational purposes.

Also, the NCAA further noted that the UK CAA stated in one of its letters that there was no mounting device for the use of EFB and no charging points or battery for backup. However, Air Peace has dismissed all the claims, saying it provided the necessary information and the matter regarding the violation was resolved without any issues.

An Air Peace spokesman said: “It is therefore wrong to say we do not have approval for our EFB. Air Peace received approval from the NCAA and all our Boeing 777 aircraft are certified to operate with EFBs."

In addition, the airline pointed out that every B777 aircraft is equipped with charging ports in the cockpit and that it ensures that all B777 aircraft have iPad mounts. Regarding the location of its cockpit library, the airline said it is mandated that all of its Boeing B777 aircraft's cockpit libraries be situated behind the captain.

“We understand the inspector’s preference for the books to be placed behind the captain and have ensured this preference is accommodated for all operations going forward. There was also a concern about the captain’s choice of runway exit after landing, so instead of exiting at the middle runway exit, the captain, out of his professional discretion, opted to exit at the end of the runway," the Air Peace spokesman added.

Air Peace also praised the UK CAA for alerting its Nigerian counterpart to the ramp inspection issue. It pointed out that this is a standard procedure followed by aviation authorities worldwide and that the UK CAA acted appropriately in informing the NCAA of the inspection's results.