An Air Peace aircraft was grounded after colliding with an antelope while taxiing on the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The incident, which decimated the animal, resulted in the aircraft being marked Aircraft on Ground (AOG), causing disruptions to scheduled flights.
Confirming the incident, 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.
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 added that while the incident was beyond the airline’s control, Air Peace was still obligated to inform passengers, provide refunds, and extend necessary care, stressing that the NCAA would not hesitate to sanction the airline if it fails in its responsibilities.
Meanwhile, a source close to the airline, while speaking to newsmen, mentioned that the collision occurred during landing and that aviation procedures were swiftly followed to inspect and repair the aircraft.
“It happened upon landing. As an aviation procedure, the aircraft has been checked and fixed. It was not a big issue,” the source stated.
The NCAA has assured passengers of safety measures at the airport and promised to investigate the runway intrusion to prevent future occurrences.
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