An Air Peace aircraft was grounded after it struck an antelope while taxiing on the runway at Asaba International Airport.
The impact killed the animal and led to the aircraft being declared Aircraft on Ground (AOG), disrupting scheduled flight operations.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page.
He noted that unexpected events like this are among the challenges that can lead to flight delays and disruptions.
Achimugu said, “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft on the ground.
“As a result, flights meant to be operated by this aircraft would naturally be disrupted, even though engineers are on the ground to assess and fix the plane. Passengers waiting would naturally be infuriated.”
He added that while the incident was beyond the airline’s control, Air Peace is still obligated to inform passengers, provide refunds, and extend necessary care, stressing that the NCAA would not hesitate to sanction the airline if it fails in its responsibilities.
The NCAA has assured passengers of safety measures at the airport and promised to investigate the runway intrusion to prevent future occurrences.
