In a statement issued by the airline’s management, Air Peace explained that the disruption stemmed from en route access challenges involving the airspace authorities of an African country while the aircraft was heading to London Gatwick Airport.
It was gathered that the issue was not an outright denial of entry into Algerian airspace, but rather concerns surrounding the confirmation and validation of the airline’s overflight permit.
Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the Algerian Civil Aviation Authority questioned the validity of the clearance and alleged that the Nigerian carrier was attempting to transit its airspace without an approved permit.
Air Peace, however, reportedly rejected the claim and presented what it described as a valid permit number obtained through the required process.
Further checks showed that Algerian authorities were unable to immediately verify the permit within their operational system as the aircraft approached the airspace, creating uncertainty around the clearance status of the flight.
The verification difficulty was said to have been worsened by recent changes involving the third-party agency responsible for processing and collecting overflight charges for airlines operating through Algerian airspace.
Faced with the uncertainty, Air Peace opted to return the aircraft safely to Lagos rather than continue into disputed airspace without complete regulatory confirmation.
The airline said the aircraft’s return to Lagos was carried out in line with established aviation procedures.
“As a result of the development and the need for immediate operational clarification with the relevant authorities, the aircraft safely returned to Lagos in accordance with established international aviation procedures,” the statement said.
“Affected passengers were promptly informed of the situation, while care arrangements, including communication updates, support services, and necessary assistance, were provided for their convenience,” it added.
Air Peace apologised to passengers affected by the disruption, describing the incident as unforeseen and beyond the airline’s control.