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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has disclosed that the airline absorbed part of the cost of the recent evacuation of stranded Nigerians from South Africa, saying the Federal Government’s contribution did not cover the full cost of the operation.
Speaking on ARISE News, Onyema said Air Peace stepped in to bridge the funding gap despite mounting financial pressures facing the aviation industry.
“I’ve done about 16 evacuations for this country free of charge, running to several millions,” Onyema said.
The airline chief noted that the operating environment has become increasingly difficult for domestic carriers, particularly due to the sharp rise in aviation fuel prices.
“You also know that this particular point in time is not good for any airline. That is the truth. The cost of aviation fuel has quadrupled,” he said.
Responding to reports that the Federal Government fully funded the South Africa evacuation exercise, Onyema dismissed the claim, insisting that Air Peace bore a significant portion of the expenses.
“It is not true that I’m taking money from the federal government for myself. What the federal government paid was not up to the cost of those operations. I subsidized it,” he stated.
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He added: “So it’s not as if it was totally, fully funded like I’m seeing in the papers. That is not the cost. I don’t want to mention it.”
Asked whether he was referring to the evacuation flights that brought Nigerians home on June 11, Onyema replied: “Yes… I subsidized it. The President has approved funds for further evacuation.”
According to him, the intervention became necessary to ensure the evacuation programme continued despite rising operational costs and funding shortfalls.
The Air Peace chairman has repeatedly advocated stronger government support for local airlines, warning that soaring fuel costs, foreign exchange challenges and multiple charges are placing severe strain on operators.
His latest comments come as hundreds of Nigerians stranded in South Africa await further evacuation arrangements, with the Federal Government expected to continue the repatriation exercise following the approval of additional funding.
The development highlights the growing financial burden of emergency evacuation operations and the critical role being played by local carriers in supporting government efforts to bring distressed Nigerians home.
