An Air Peace aircraft collided with a large antelope on the runway at Asaba International Airport, Delta State, causing significant damage to the plane and disrupting scheduled flights.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the incident in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
“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),” Achimugu wrote.
Achimugu noted that although airline engineers are currently assessing and working to repair the aircraft, such unforeseen occurrences are not the fault of the airline.
“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.
“Incidents like this are literal illustrations of the disruptions NOT caused by the airlines (domestic or international).
“This explainer is for illustration purpose, not to excuse airlines when they fail to do their duties to passengers.”
Nonetheless, the NCAA spokesperson reminded carriers of their responsibility to passengers in such situations. “Despite such scenarios, airlines still owe their passengers timely information, care, and refunds where applicable. Sanctions may apply if these obligations are not met,” he added.
The antelope collision comes just a week after the NCAA ordered Air Peace to address growing passenger complaints about frequent flight delays and cancellations.
NCAA Director-General, Chris Najomo, advised the airline to scale down its operations to match its available fleet and avoid further disruptions.
In response, Air Peace attributed some of its recent delays and cancellations to safety concerns rather than a shortage of aircraft, maintaining that passenger safety remains its top priority.