The Canadian government has formally confirmed its refusal to allow Air Peace to evacuate Nigerians stranded in that country back home.
The Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said the Canadian government had confirmed its final refusal to grant the airline the right to evacuate the Nigerians in the North American country.
The Canadian government had last week denied landing rights to Air Peace, a development that forced the Federal Government to postpone the evacuation of stranded Nigerians in the country.
In a letter dated May 20, 2020, with reference number NHS/OTT/ADM.56/I and titled: “Update on the Flight postponement,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the arrangement with Air Peace has been cancelled following the refusal of the Canadian authorities to grant the airline the landing rights.
The letter read: “The best and overall well-being of Nigerians stranded in Canada was the overriding considerations of the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa seeking a solution to their predicament.
“The aim was to come up with the most convenient and cost-effective arrangement possible bearing in mind that the many were stranded here through no fault of their own and some had become cash strapped.
“The mission, therefore, engaged a number of airlines and eventually came up with an arrangement and pricing structure with Air Peace which no other airline was able to match. You will recall that in our public notice of 12th May, 2020, the High Commission announced that the Canadian government had expressed reservations concerning the granting of necessary clearance/landing permit for Air Peace to fly into Canada, due to safety concerns.
“Kindly be informed that after protracted engagement, the Canadian government has unfortunately reverted with what appears to be a final refusal. As a result the Air Peace arrangement is cancelled.
“During the negotiation with Air Peace the issue of refunds was addressed in the event that the flight did not hold due to unforeseen circumstances and as such, everyone will get refunds for their tickets from Air peace as agreed.
“In the meantime, the Nigerian High Commission is working assiduously to secure an alternative arrangement to get you home as soon as possible, safely and at the least cost possible. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
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