Nigerian airline Air Peace has debunked claims that on April 8, 2024, it abandoned passengers at Gatwick Airport, London, and shut down the counter before closing time because its aircraft was overbooked.
Jerrymusa.com reports that in response to a social media video containing the accusation, the airline denied it was accurate and characterised it as an intentional attempt to damage its brand.
The airline clarified that the airport runs on slot timings that are allotted to the various airlines that use it.
Airline Operation is Slot Based
It also stated that airline check-in procedures are slot-based, with airlines rotating according to their authorised periods.
“You must leave the3389 counters to make room for the following airline to use them after your slot timing has expired. The counter was cleared by Air Peace in compliance with our slot allotment at 09:55 AM.
The check-in procedure concludes at 9:00 AM, as specified in the terms and conditions part of our e-ticket and website, the airline stated.
The statement said, “We send passengers multiple reminders before departure (24 hours, 14 hours, and 6 hours prior) to prevent missed flights.”
The flight was scheduled to depart at 11:10 a.m., and all procedures followed this timetable.
It is incorrect that there was overbooking on flights. Our manifest is verifiable by the Nigerian and British Civil Aviation Authorities.
There was evidence that there was no overbooking when certain seats were empty upon departure.
The time the person came to our counter and the date the video was taken are both displayed on Gatwick Airport’s CCTV.
The situation at the airport was resolved when the late customer paid the no-show fee and was rebooked on a later flight.
While Air Peace makes every effort to provide excellent customer service, punctuality is necessary for a smooth flight.