Air Peace on Wednesday morning confirmed that one of its Airbus A320 aircraft was significantly damaged at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after a baggage conveyor belt vehicle operated by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) crashed into the aircraft’s engine shortly after passengers disembarked from Flight P47427 from Kano.
Air Peace said in a statement that the impact of the crash rendered the aircraft completely unserviceable, forcing operational adjustments that are expected to cause delays and cancellations across its domestic network.
Air Peace, in the statement, apologised to affected passengers, assuring them that efforts were underway to provide alternative travel arrangements while investigations continue.
The airline also said it was working with NAHCO and aviation authorities to determine the cause of the incident and prevent a recurrence.
The statement noted that “Wednesday’s accident is the latest in a series of ground handling mishaps involving Air Peace aircraft, raising fresh questions about airside safety procedures at Nigeria’s busiest airport.
“In January 2023, a NAHCO-operated stair truck rammed into an Air Peace Airbus A320 at the Lagos airport, damaging the aircraft’s elevator and disrupting multiple scheduled flights. At the time, Air Peace disclosed that it was the third time within one month that its aircraft had been damaged by NAHCO equipment, describing the recurring incidents as a major financial and operational burden. NAHCO acknowledged the incident, suspended the staff involved and promised a review of its operational procedures.
“A similar incident occurred again in December 2025, when a luggage conveyor belt operated by NAHCO struck the engine of Air Peace’s newly acquired Embraer 195-E2 shortly after passengers had boarded a Lagos-Accra flight. The aircraft was immediately grounded, disrupting at least nine scheduled flight sectors. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident, with its Director of Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, noting that airlines often bear the reputational and financial consequences of operational disruptions caused by third-party service providers.
“Ground handling collisions involving aircraft are particularly costly because even seemingly minor impacts can require extensive inspections, replacement of specialised components and regulatory clearance before an aircraft returns to service.
“For airlines operating tight schedules, the grounding of a single aircraft can trigger a chain reaction of delays, cancellations, passenger compensation claims and loss of revenue.
“The latest incident is therefore expected to have significant operational implications for Air Peace, especially as the damaged Airbus A320 was scheduled to operate multiple flights within the airline’s domestic network.
“The recurrence of similar incidents has renewed calls for stricter oversight of ground handling operations at Nigerian airports. Aviation stakeholders have repeatedly argued that while airlines are often blamed by passengers for delays and cancellations, many disruptions originate from third-party service providers operating on the airside.
“With three major NAHCO-related aircraft damage incidents involving Air Peace now documented within about three years, industry observers are expected to closely watch the outcome of the latest investigation and whether it results in stronger safety measures, additional personnel training and stricter enforcement of ground handling standards.”
