Air Peace evacuation flight delayed over landing permit

The flight billed to airlift Nigerians from South Africa has been delayed because authorities at the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg is yet to give permit to the airline for the flight.

The flight was billed to take off by 1:00am Tuesday and arrive Johannesburg by 7:00 am.

The flight was also planned to leave the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg by 12:00 pm back to Nigeria, to arrive the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos by 7:00 pm.

With the delay, it is uncertain when the flight would take off to South Africa or when it would land.

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who confirmed the flight delay to THISDAY, said: “We did not take off by 1:00am as scheduled because South African authorities are yet to give us landing permit. We are hopeful that they will give us the permit. Our crew waited till 3:00 am but when the permit did not come, they went back to the hotel. Once we get the permit we will set off to South Africa. We don’t want to speculate but we are hopeful they will give the permit.”

Air Peace is expected to evacuate the second batch of returnees, numbering 320 Nigerians as a result of the xenophobic attacks on Africans by South Africans.

-Thisday