Air Peace reacts to report that its pilots tested positive to alcohol, cannabis

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau had launched a probe into the 13 July 2025 incident in which an aircraft belonging to Air Peace veered off the runway after landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

Air Peace says the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has not communicated to it the bureau’s findings on the airline’s Port Harcourt runway incident in Rivers State.

The NSIB had launched a probe into the 13 July 2025 incident in an aircraft belonging to Air Peace veered off the runway after landing at the Port Harcourt International

PREMIUM TIMES reported that in a preliminary report released Friday, the NSIB said toxicology tests confirmed the presence of intoxicants in the captain and first officer who flew the Boeing 737 with 103 people on board.

The aircraft, with registration 5N-BQQ, was flying a scheduled Lagos–Port Harcourt service when it landed long on Runway 21.

Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, operates domestic and international flights across Africa and to destinations such as London, Saudi Arabia, Dakar, Freetown, Monrovia, and Ghana.

Zero tolerance for alcohol, drug use

Reacting to NSIB’s findings on Friday, Air Peace said in a statement that it does not tolerate alcohol and drug use, adding that it conducts frequent tests on crew members.

“To date, we have never received any official communications from the NSIB on such findings over a month after the incident and after the testing of the crew for alcohol, which took place in less than an hour of the incident,” the airline said.

“Air Peace conducts frequent alcohol and drug tests on our crew. We have a very strict alcohol use policy that is stricter than the 8 hours before the flight as provided in the regulations. Drug use is a NO-NO!”

The airline also said the captain of the affected flight was immediately grounded and relieved of flying duties—not because of an alcohol test result, but for failing to adhere to crew resource management principles and disregarding his co-pilot’s advice to execute a go-around.

It said the first officer, who called for the go-around, had been cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and reinstated to active duties.

“If he was involved in drug or alcohol use, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority would not have cleared him to resume flight duties,” Air Peace said.

“However, if the sacked captain tested positive on the breathalyser test, then we must increase the frequency of our alcohol and drug tests on our crew.

“Again, the importance of Enhanced Crew Resource Management Training cannot be overemphasised.”

The airline said it will step up the frequency of its crew drug and alcohol testing, as well as strengthen internal monitoring and fitness-for-duty checks to reinforce its zero-tolerance safety policy.

Air Peace said it has consistently maintained a strong safety record and strictly implements global best practices in all aspects of its operations, and reassured passengers and the public that safety will never be compromised.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation considers intoxication by flight crew a serious breach of safety standards.

Several airlines worldwide have faced scandals in recent years after pilots were caught under the influence of alcohol, underscoring the risks to passenger safety.