Air Peace has denied reports alleging its crew tested positive for alcohol after the July 13, 2025 incident at Port Harcourt International Airport, stressing that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has not officially communicated any findings to the airline.

In a statement on Friday, the carrier described the claims as misleading, noting that neither it nor its crew had received confirmation of any preliminary report, despite more than a month passing since the incident and the post-incident alcohol tests.

“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! As a responsible airline, we place utmost priority on safety, transparency, and compliance, and it is important to set the record straight,” Air Peace stated.

The airline noted that it regularly conducts alcohol and drug testing on its crew, following policies that exceed regulatory requirements and uphold a zero-tolerance approach to substance use.

Regarding the Port Harcourt incident, Air Peace confirmed that the flight captain was immediately grounded and removed from flying duties for failing to follow standard go-around procedures and disregarding Crew Resource Management protocols.

The airline emphasized that this action was unrelated to alcohol, as no official test results have been communicated by the NSIB.

“Following the incident, we took immediate and decisive action: The captain of the affected flight was immediately grounded and relieved from further flight duties to date for failure to adhere to Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and for disregarding standard go-around procedures as advised by his co-pilot but not for testing positive to breathalyser test as the result was not communicated to us by NSIB to date,” the statement added.

“In contrast, the First Officer who initiated the go-around was commended for his professionalism.

He has since been cleared by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and reinstated to active duty, according to the statement.

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

Air Peace added that if any future confirmation of a positive alcohol test for the captain arises, the airline would step up crew testing and further strengthen its Fitness-for-Duty checks and internal monitoring.

Air Peace concluded by assuring passengers and the public that safety remains uncompromised across all its operations.

On Thursday, the NSIB released its preliminary report on the Port Harcourt incident involving an Air Peace Boeing 737-524, registered 5N-BQQ.

The flight, carrying 103 passengers and crew from Lagos, landed long on Runway 21 after an unstabilized approach, eventually stopping 209 metres into the clearway.