A conveyor belt has collided with an Air Peace aircraft, disrupting the airline’s Lagos–Accra flight. The incident occurred on Friday after passengers had already boarded the aircraft.
Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the incident, noting that it caused damage to the aircraft’s engine cover. As a result, passengers had to be deboarded.
Achimugu stated that the affected aircraft was scheduled to operate nine flight sectors, leading to disruptions for all passengers booked on its subsequent operations. He mentioned that the airline would face backlash, refund issues, and compensation claims for damage not caused by them, ultimately incurring significant costs.
The NCAA spokesman highlighted that Air Peace has previously dealt with similar technical issues, such as a bird strike that cost over three million dollars to fix, disrupting their operations for an entire month. He condemned the inefficiency of poorly trained ground handling personnel and stressed the need for stricter regulations imposing heavier sanctions on responsible service providers.
Achimugu advocated for more transparency in informing passengers about the reasons behind operational disruptions, urging better public education and clearer facts to prevent the aviation industry from appearing secretive.
He noted the importance of ensuring adequate insurance to cover costs arising from incidents like this, calling for understanding from passengers affected by the current situation.
