Air Peace has sharply criticized ACMI provider SmartLynx Airlines after the sudden withdrawal of several Airbus A320 aircraft leased to support its domestic network. The Nigerian carrier says the aircraft were removed without prior notice, triggering widespread operational disruptions and financial losses exceeding $15 million.
Speaking to reporters in Lagos on Nov. 14, Chief Commercial Officer Nowel Ngala said the abrupt removal of ES-SAY, 9H-EDO, YL-LDM, and 9H-IVO came despite the aircraft being scheduled for active service across multiple routes. ES-SAY remains grounded in Lagos, while the other units were ferried to long-term storage in Lourdes/Tarbes, France.
All five jets, aged between 16 and 20 years, were sourced through SmartLynx’s Estonian, Maltese, and Latvian AOCs but are now idle under the control of their respective owners.
Ngala described the situation as a breach of contract and a direct violation of industry norms. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, he said the airline depended heavily on the additional capacity while 13 of its own aircraft were abroad undergoing scheduled maintenance.
“We consider this action by SmartLynx to be a serious breach of contract, fraudulent, and a premeditated scheme,” he said. “This withdrawal was done without prior notice. Over USD 5 million of our money, including more than USD 1 million in security deposits, is still with them. Their action has caused over USD 15 million in damages to Air Peace.”
Ngala alleges that SmartLynx accepted upfront payments while knowing they were in default to the true owners of the aircraft — a situation that, according to Air Peace, led the owners to subsequently recall the jets. He added that the sudden capacity gap resulted in significant delays and cancellations across the network.
SmartLynx Under Restructuring
The dispute comes as SmartLynx Airlines Latvia undergoes court-supervised restructuring, initiated on October 28, with a deadline to submit a restructuring plan by February 28, 2026. At the same time, previous shareholder Avia Solutions Group confirmed that it had sold its Maltese and Estonian SmartLynx units to Dutch fund Stichting Break Point Distressed Assets Management in early November.
ASG said the sale followed all legal requirements and that subsequent decisions, including fleet movements, are now under the new owners’ control. SmartLynx’s new management has not yet issued a public statement on the Air Peace allegations.
In addition to these four aircraft, further reporting from NEWSAERO shows that up to five A320s leased from the SmartLynx group exited Air Peace operations between 11 and 16 November, including YL-LCT and 9H-AOZ. The aircraft had arrived progressively between March and October 2025 to bolster domestic capacity during a period of heightened fleet pressure.
Despite the setback, Air Peace says the return of several of its own aircraft from maintenance is helping stabilise its schedule. Two units have already re-entered service, with more expected in the coming days.
The airline is simultaneously reshaping its fleet strategy. It recently introduced a Boeing 737-800 (OM-IEX) operated by Slovakia’s Air Explore, with a second unit on the way. Air Peace also received its first Boeing 737-700 under a dry-lease arrangement from AerCap — the first such lease completed by a Nigerian airline in a decade, following Nigeria’s alignment with the Cape Town Convention.
This year, Air Peace has added Embraer E190 and E195 aircraft, expanded its Boeing 777 fleet, and continues to progress a sizeable orderbook that includes 11 Embraer E195-E2s, 2 E175s, and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. The carrier emphasized that its flagship long-haul operations — including its Boeing 777 service to London — remain unaffected by the dispute.
