Air Peace has officially dismissed reports claiming it sold tickets or stranded passengers in connection with its proposed direct flight service between Lagos and São Paulo, Brazil. In a statement released on Friday, January 30, 2026, the airline’s management described the allegations as “false, misleading, and deliberately sensational.”
The clarification follows a viral report suggesting that Nigerians in Brazil felt “scammed” after a promised November 2025 launch date passed without the commencement of operations. Air Peace emphasized that while it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian government in late 2024, an MoU is a statement of intent and does not constitute a flight schedule or a guarantee of immediate service.
The airline clarified that it never opened a booking platform, announced specific flight dates, or collected funds from any individual for the Brazil route. “It is therefore illogical to claim that passengers were stranded by a flight that was never placed on sale,” the management stated, attributing the frustration of some travelers to “self-imposed expectations” rather than corporate deception.
Air Peace noted that establishing long-haul international routes requires extensive regulatory and safety thresholds that can take years to satisfy, citing its London operations, which took seven years from conception to execution, as a primary example of the industry’s complexity.
Despite the current controversy, the carrier reaffirmed its commitment to the Brazil expansion, noting that it is still actively engaging with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Brazilian aviation authorities to bring the direct flight to reality. The airline warned against what it termed “media manipulation” by vested interests seeking to undermine a domestic business.
Air Peace urged the public to rely only on its official website and verified social media channels for updates on new destinations, reiterating that it will only commence ticket sales once all operational and international diplomatic protocols are fully concluded.
