NCAA Reacts After Ground Equipment Collides With Air Peace Aircraft, Disrupting Lagos-Accra Service

According to Ireporter Online, a Lagos-Accra flight operated by Air Peace was disrupted on Friday after ground handling equipment struck the aircraft at the airport. Passengers had already boarded the plane when the incident occurred, forcing the airline to deboard travellers and suspend the flight.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed that the collision caused damage to the aircraft’s engine cover, rendering it unsafe to operate. He explained that the affected plane was scheduled to operate nine flight sectors, meaning the disruption would affect numerous passengers beyond the Lagos-Accra route.

“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 said. He added that all passengers booked on the aircraft’s subsequent flights could face delays or cancellations.

Although the incident was not the airline’s fault, Achimugu noted that Air Peace would bear the repercussions, including customer complaints, refunds, compensation, and repair costs in foreign currency. He cited a prior incident where a bird strike reportedly cost the airline over three million dollars in repairs.

The damaged aircraft, one of Air Peace’s newly acquired Embraer E195-E2 jets, was fully booked until January 15, 2026. Achimugu emphasized that such disruptions often unfairly place airlines in the spotlight while third-party service providers remain largely unaccountable.

He stressed the need for stricter regulation of ground handling companies, calling for accountability for poorly trained personnel whose mistakes can result in financial, technical, and reputational losses. The NCAA is reportedly considering tougher sanctions to deter similar incidents in the future.

Achimugu urged airlines to communicate transparently with passengers and highlighted Air Peace’s efforts to deploy standby aircraft to mitigate the impact, although these planes have smaller seating capacities than the damaged jet. He concluded by calling for improved public awareness to prevent misunderstandings about airline responsibilities in situations beyond their control.