An Air Peace airplane experienced an unusual incident at Asaba International Airport in Delta State. While taxiing on the runway, it struck a large antelope. The impact resulted in damage to the aircraft, grounding it and causing subsequent flight cancellations.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) addressed the situation on Sunday. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the NCAA, used his official X account to explain the consequences of the event. He stated, “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft AOG (aircraft on ground).”
This unexpected collision led to unavoidable flight disruptions for passengers scheduled on that aircraft. Mr. Achimugu acknowledged the passengers’ likely frustration, noting that engineers were working to assess and repair the damage.
He emphasized that such incidents, while outside the airline’s direct control, do not relieve Air Peace of its obligations to its passengers. “Incidents like this are literal illustrations of the disruptions NOT caused by the airlines (domestic or international),” he clarified. He further stressed, “This explainer is for illustration purposes, not to excuse airlines when they fail to do their duties to passengers.” He concluded by stating, “Even with situations like this, the airline still owes its passengers the information, refund, and other forms of care they are entitled to, and can still be sanctioned if they fail to provide the same.”
The NCAA confirmed that repair work on the aircraft is underway, with the goal of resuming normal flight operations as soon as possible.
