A conveyor belt operated by a ground handler struck an Air Peace aircraft on Friday, disrupting the airline’s Lagos–Accra flight.
The incident occurred after passengers had already boarded the aircraft, forcing them to be deboarded. The collision damaged the aircraft’s engine cowling.
Confirming the incident in a post on X, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, said the aircraft had been scheduled to operate nine flight sectors.
“Passengers were already boarded when a ground handler’s conveyor belt hit the aircraft, causing damage to the engine cover. Passengers had to be deboarded,” Achimugu stated.
He explained that the damage would have ripple effects across multiple routes, with passengers booked on the aircraft’s subsequent flights expected to experience delays or cancellations.
“The airline will face backlash, refund issues, compensation, and other consequences for damage that was not its fault. It will also spend significant foreign exchange to fix the aircraft,” he said.
Achimugu recalled a previous incident involving a bird strike that reportedly cost the airline more than $3 million to repair and kept the aircraft grounded for about a month while awaiting replacement parts.
He noted that the affected aircraft in Friday’s incident was one of Air Peace’s brand-new Embraer E195-E2 jets and was fully booked through January 15, 2026.
“Now, all innocent passengers booked on its operations will experience delays or cancellations. However, airlines rarely publicly blame other service providers. They typically cite ‘technical or operational reasons’ while bearing the anger of passengers and the regulatory consequences under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” he said.
Achimugu added that Air Peace has experienced several technical disruptions that were not caused by the airline.
He stressed the need to begin naming and sanctioning poorly trained ground handling personnel whose actions cause airlines significant reputational, financial, and technical losses.
The NCAA, he said, is considering stricter regulations that would impose heavier penalties on service providers responsible for such incidents.
“Airlines should not be held responsible for situations like this, and passengers deserve honest explanations for disruptions caused by these unfortunate events,” Achimugu said.
He also appealed for passengers’ understanding, noting that while Air Peace has two standby aircraft, both were already deployed to manage similar situations. He added that even if available, the standby aircraft have smaller seating capacities than the damaged E2 jet.
“These are some of the behind-the-scenes realities that often make airlines appear culpable,” he said.
Achimugu concluded by emphasizing the need for better public education and greater transparency to prevent the aviation industry from being perceived as secretive.
