There was flight disruption at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Saturday, as an Air Peace aircraft hit an antelope.
The collision, which decimated the animal, led to the grounding of the aircraft.
A source disclosed that it happened while the aircraft was landing.
Consequently, the aircraft was immediately marked Aircraft on Ground (AOG), causing disruptions to scheduled flights.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), through its Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident on.
“Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft on 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 wrote.
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.
“It happened upon landing. As an aviation procedure, the aircraft has been checked and fixed. It was not a big issue,” a source told Vanguard.