The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has officially confirmed that an Air Peace aircraft was involved in a runway incident after colliding with an antelope at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
In a statement released on Sunday, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, detailed that the incident occurred on Saturday, leaving the animal fatally injured and the aircraft grounded.
According to reports, the incident caused temporary disruptions to flight schedules, as the affected plane was declared Aircraft on Ground (AOG), awaiting technical evaluation.
While the occurrence was outside the airline’s control, Air Peace is still expected to promptly notify its passengers, issue refunds where necessary, and offer appropriate care and support, Achimugu explained.
“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,” he stated in a post shared via 𝕏.
Achimugu further emphasized that although such rare incidents can occur, leading to operational delays, the NCAA would not hesitate to sanction any airline found neglecting its duties to passengers in situations like this.
