Air Peace has warned of possible disruptions to its domestic flight operations after one of its Airbus A320 aircraft was severely damaged on the ground at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (MMA1) in Lagos.
The airline disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the aircraft was rendered unserviceable after a baggage conveyor belt vehicle operated by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) collided with one of its engines.
According to Air Peace, the incident occurred on Tuesday night shortly after the aircraft completed Flight P47427 from Kano and passengers had safely disembarked.
The airline said the impact caused extensive damage to the aircraft, forcing it out of service at a time it had been scheduled to operate several flights across its domestic network in the coming days.
As a result, Air Peace said some flights are likely to be delayed while others may be cancelled as it adjusts its fleet to minimise the disruption.
“One of our Airbus A320 aircraft sustained significant damage on the ground today at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1, Lagos, after a Nigerian Aviation Handling Company 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 belonging to and operated by NAHCO tore into the aircraft and, as such, rendered the aircraft totally unserviceable.”
The carrier described the incident as a major operational setback, noting that the damaged aircraft had been rostered to operate multiple scheduled services.
“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,” the statement added.
Air Peace apologised to affected passengers and said its operational and customer service teams were working to reduce the inconvenience by arranging alternative travel options where available.
“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,” the airline said.
It added that it was working with NAHCO and relevant aviation authorities to investigate the incident and prevent a recurrence.
“At Air Peace, the safety of our passengers, crew and equipment remains our highest priority. We appreciate the patience, understanding and continued support of our valued customers as we diligently manage the operational challenges arising from this incident.”
The latest incident comes less than seven months after NAHCO equipment damaged another Air Peace aircraft on December 26, 2025, raising fresh concerns over ground handling operations at the country’s busiest airport.
NAHCO had yet to comment on the incident as of press time. Calls and text messages sent to the company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Tayo Ajakaye, were not returned.
