Air Peace faces flight disruptions as ground handling equipment damages aircraft

…‘Operator collapsed before equipment crashed into aircraft.’

By Dickson Omobola

Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has disclosed that one of its Airbus A320 aircraft sustained damage on the ground at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, MMA1, Lagos.

The incident occurred after a Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, baggage conveyor belt vehicle crashed into the aircraft’s engine shortly after the completion of Flight P47427 from Kano and the safe disembarkation of passengers.

The airline said the ground handling equipment tore into the aircraft, rendering it totally unserviceable.

According to Air Peace, “This unfortunate incident has significantly impacted our operations, as the aircraft was rostered to operate multiple flights within our network over the coming days. Consequently, several scheduled services will experience delays, while some may regrettably be cancelled as we work to mitigate the disruption through fleet adjustments.

“We sincerely apologise to our esteemed passengers whose travel plans may be affected by this unforeseen ground handling incident. Our operational and customer service teams are actively working to minimise the inconvenience by providing available alternatives and ensuring that affected passengers receive the necessary assistance.

“At Air Peace, the safety of our passengers, crew, and equipment remains our highest priority. We are working closely with the relevant ground handling company and aviation authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and prevent a recurrence.”

Efforts to obtain an official reaction from NAHCO were unsuccessful, as the company declined to comment on the incident.

However, a source familiar with the development confirmed to Vanguard that the collision occurred after the operator of the baggage conveyor belt vehicle suffered a medical emergency while on duty.

The source told Vanguard: “The staff member, Mr Sunday, slumped while operating the equipment. The machine then moved forward uncontrollably and hit the aircraft. That is what happened.”

The source added that the employee was immediately rushed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.

She said, “He is on admission at the FAAN hospital because it was an emergency.”