Air Peace left its passengers travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Abuja and Lagos stranded on Wednesday after failing to communicate that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) strike which commenced on the same day would affect their flights.

FIJ learnt that many passengers only became aware of the NiMet strike and its impact on Air Peace’s operations upon arriving at the airport.

A source whose flight to Lagos was scheduled for 12:10 pm told FIJ that while he understood there was a strike, he could not comprehend why Air Peace had failed to notify passengers in advance.

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“What made the situation worse was that aircraft from other airlines were landing and taking off, but not Air Peace,” the source told FIJ.

When asked for an explanation, the source said he was told that other airlines received signals from the Air Force Base, while Air Peace pilots, who are foreigners, did not rely on those signals.

“Now, everywhere is crowded. Air Peace eventually cancelled our flights around 12:30 pm,” he added.

He also reported that due to Air Peace’s failure to communicate with its passengers, one aggrieved customer smashed the airline’s office glass at the airport.

“When security officials attempted to arrest her, other passengers blocked them. Everyone was angry,” he said.

READ ALSO: From 4:30pm, How Air Peace’s Abuja-Owerri Flight Ended Up Leaving at 11am the Next Day

On Tuesday, aviation workers’ unions announced the commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike by NiMet staff over poor remuneration and unmet agreements with management.

The strike began in earnest on Wednesday, affecting some airline operations in Port Harcourt.

When FIJ contacted Ejike Ndiulo, Head of Corporate Communications at Air Peace, he asked our reporter to send a text message. More than two hours later, he had yet to respond.