Air Peace Brand New Aircraft Damaged on Ground, Flights Disrupted Nationwide
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Operations at Air Peace were disrupted after one of the airline’s brand new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft was damaged on the ground, shortly after passengers had boarded for departure.
According to reports, a conveyor belt operated by a ground handling company struck the aircraft’s engine cover, causing significant damage and forcing the immediate deboarding of passengers.
The affected aircraft was scheduled to operate nine flight sectors, meaning all passengers booked across those routes were automatically impacted by delays or cancellations. The incident is expected to trigger refund requests, compensation claims, and widespread passenger backlash, despite the airline not being at fault.
Industry sources describe the incident as a major setback for Air Peace. The cost implications are enormous, with the engine casing alone valued at approximately $3.5 million, while the engine itself is estimated at about $18 million. Repairs will require foreign exchange and manufacturer support, further compounding the airline’s financial burden.
Beyond the immediate damage, the aircraft was reportedly fully booked until January 15, 2026, raising concerns about prolonged operational disruptions across Air Peace’s network.
This incident comes months after a separate bird strike reportedly cost the airline over $3 million to fix. According to the airline, it took nearly a month for the aircraft manufacturer to deliver a replacement engine cowling at the time.
Confirming the development, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, said the damaged aircraft was one of Air Peace’s newly acquired E2 jets and was heavily scheduled.
“Air Peace has suffered a lot of these technical issues through no fault of theirs. We need to start naming and shaming poorly trained ground handling personnel whose inefficiency costs airlines huge reputational, financial, and technical damage,” Achimugu said.
He disclosed that the NCAA is considering stronger regulations and sanctions against service providers responsible for such incidents.
“Airlines should not be held responsible for situations like this, and passengers should be informed honestly about the real reasons for flight disruptions,” he added.
Achimugu appealed for passenger understanding, noting that although Air Peace maintains two standby aircraft, both had already been deployed to manage other operational challenges. He also pointed out that even if available, the standby aircraft have smaller seating capacities than the damaged E2 jet.
