Air Peace has called Senator Adams Oshiomhole a liar over his accusation that the airline was habitually late.
The airline responded to the representative of Edo North Senatorial District through its Operations Manager, Ayodeji Adeyemi, on Monday.
Adeyemi spoke when he appeared on a Channels Television programme: “Politics Today.”
He dismissed the claims by the former governor of Edo State that he was extorted and unfairly denied boarding, adding that he did not check in online as alleged and arrived late for his scheduled flight.
He said: “Oshiomhole has made several allegations, and we stand by the fact that they are false.
“He came late for his flight – that’s already been established, and he didn’t deny it.
“He came to the airport requesting to board when the flight had closed.”
Adeyemi challenged the senator’s claim of checking in online before his arrival, explaining that Air Peace’s backend systems reflect all online check-ins, which automatically generate a boarding pass with seat details.
He added: “He never checked in online.
“He only tried to sway public opinion by showing his phone on TV.
“If he truly checked in online, he should produce the boarding pass issued to him.
“Till now, he has not done that.
“If you check in online, your name appears on our manifest and system.
“He wasn’t there.
“We couldn’t find him on our checked-in list.
“He came in after 6am.
“Our check-in closes 45 minutes before departure.
“That’s standard.
“The flight was for 6:30am, and at the time he arrived, the door of the aircraft was already shut.”
Adeyemi also addressed the viral video showing an Air Peace staff speaking with Oshiomhole in a secluded part of the terminal.
He said: “Nobody cornered him (Oshimhole).
“Given his status, the official only tried to explain that since he had missed the flight, the next one was at 8:30am, and to board that, he would need to change his ticket and pay the appropriate fees.
“When you miss a flight, you’re charged a ‘no-show’ fee under standard aviation policies.
“If you select a new flight, you may also pay a fare difference depending on availability and demand.
“That’s not extortion, it’s standard practice.”
Adeyemi further pointed out that two of the women referenced by Oshiomhole as victims of the same situation were not on that specific flight.
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Oshiomhole had earlier said: “My Air Peace ordeal symbolises Nigerians’ frustration.
“This rift is not between me and Air Peace.
“No fair-minded person can say it is.
“It was institutional extortion.
“I refused to be taken care of.
“I had already checked in.
“I arrived between 6am and five minutes past six.
“The purpose of checking in online is so that you don’t have to check in again.
“I insisted that checking me in was not a secret deal.
“Many of those who were there were denied boarding.
“They were asked to pay additional charges on the spot, different from what they had paid online.
“While the manager was trying to sort me out, I said: ‘You don’t need to sort me out. Respect the rights of these people.’
“A woman who paid N146,000 was asked to pay N109,900 more in order to fly.
“For me, they were not going to take any extra money.
“I refused to be isolated.
“Why should I be excused?”
