Air Peace reacts as NSIB report indicts pilots for hard drugs, alcohol

Air Peace says it has yet to receive a report indicting the airline’s officials by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The NSIB had earlier indicted an Air Peace pilot and co-pilot after they tested positive for hard drugs and alcohol.

This followed investigations into a runway incursion involving an Air Peace aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 13, 2025.

According to a preliminary report signed by the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, and made available to newsmen on Friday, September 12, 2025, the crew’s substance use was confirmed during post-incident testing.

It would be recalled that an Air Peace aircraft, on June 13, had a runway excursion after landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

The aircraft veered off the runway without any damage.

The NSIB report later stated that toxicological test results conducted on the flight crew turned out positive.

The bureau said the tests indicated the presence of alcohol in the system of the crew, while another crew member also tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active compound found in cannabis, colloquially referred to as “India hemp.”

Reacting via a statement on Friday, Air Peace said the result was not communicated to the airline by the NSIB.

Air Peace plane skids off runway at Port Harcourt airport

Air Peace stated it conducts frequent alcohol and drug tests on its crew, noting that the airline has “a very strict alcohol use policy that is stricter than the 8 hours before the flight as provided in the regulations. Drug use is a NO-NO!”

The airline added: “Following the incident, we took immediate and decisive action:

“The captain of the affected flight was grounded and relieved from further flight duty till date for failure to adhere to Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and for disregarding standard go-around procedures as advised by his co-pilot but not for testing positive to the breathalyser test, as the result was not communicated to us by NSIB to date.

“Contrary to reports in the media, the First Officer (Co-pilot), who demonstrated professionalism in calling for a go-around to his captain, has been reinstated into active flying duties, with full approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The NCAA cleared him. If he was involved in drug or alcohol use, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority would not have cleared him to resume flight duties.

“However, if the relieved captain tested positive to the breathalyzer test, then we must increase the frequency of our alcohol and drug tests on our crew.”

The Star