Air Peace aircraft over the weekend collided with an antelope while taxiing on the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The incident, which left the aircraft grounded, decimated the animal, resulted in the aircraft being marked Aircraft on Ground (AOG), causing disruptions to scheduled flights.
Air Peace insider confirmed the incident and said the airline informed appropriate authorities about it.
Similarly, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), through its Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that such unforeseen occurrences are part of the challenges that lead to flight disruptions.
He noted: “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft on ground.
“As a result, flights meant to be operated by this aircraft would naturally be disrupted, even though engineers are on the ground to assess and fix the plane. Passengers waiting would naturally be infuriated.”
“While the incident was beyond the airline’s control, Air Peace is still obligated to inform passengers, provide refunds, and extend necessary care.The NCAA would not hesitate to sanction the airline if it fails in its responsibilities,” Achimugu stated.