Dana Air denies hiring celebrities to board inaugural flight

When  Dana Air resumed operations last week  after  being grounded for some time, following an air mishap last year,the first flight announcing the resumption  had several celebrities, journalists and politicians on it.This has raised some controversy.
Several people have alleged that the celebrities on-board were paid to be on the Lagos-Abuja-Lagos flight. The airline  released a statement Monday denying it hired anyone to be on the flight.
The statement from Dana air reads:
Our attention has been drawn to some online media reports suggesting that celebrities BasketMouth, DIPP, Harrysong, and Buchi, who were among guests on board the Dana Air inaugural flight of Friday, 4th January, 2013, boarded the airplane for financial gains. 
We would like to state that these claims are completely untrue. Like all other esteemed guests of the airline, many of which are notable personalities from Nigeria’s entertainment scene, these celebrities have always been a part of the Dana Air family.
Their decision to be part of the airline’s re-launch was purely out of goodwill, having personally experienced the unrivalled hospitality and world-class services offered by the airline many times before.
We also want to use this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to all our guests, many of whom have sent congratulatory messages and best wishes on the airline’s return, while pledging our commitment to the provision of safe, reliable and world-class air transport services.