The management of one of Nigeria’s major carriers, Air Peace, has debunked the report that it had suspended the evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa.
The Chairman and CEO of the airline, Allen Onyema, said that Air Peace had not suspended the evacuation exercise but it was waiting for the Nigerian High Commission to get ready for the next batch of Nigerians that would be taken out of South Africa.
It would be recalled that the airline had evacuated 187 Nigerians in the first flight on Wednesday out of the 317 initially billed to return home.
The Chairman said that the airline would continue to bring back Nigerians who are willing to return to their country until the last evacuee is taken out of that country.
Onyema disclosed that indications from the Nigerian High Commission showed that about 1000 Nigerians are still willing to return home but the airlift would start after the Commission had finished with paper work to prepare them for the flight home.
He said: “I said it earlier that Air Peace will bring back to our country all those Nigerians who are willing to return and we will continue to bring them back until the last evacuee is taken out of South Africa.
“I learnt from the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa that about 1000 Nigerians are willing to return home. So what Air Peace has agreed with the Commission is that when it finishes with documentation, settled with Immigration then the High Commission will notify Air Peace which will deploy aircraft to bring them back.
“This is to avoid what happened last time when 320 passengers were expected to be airlifted but South Africa authorities allowed 187 to make the flight.”
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