The Airbus A320 aircraft of Air Peace on Tuesday suffered significant damage at the Lagos airport, following a crash into the airplane by the equipment of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc. A statement today by the management of the airline, said that the NAHCO’s baggage conveyor belt vehicle crashed into the aircraft’s engine shortly after the completion of Flight P47427 from Kano and the safe disembarkation of passengers.

According to the statement, the handling equipment tore into the aircraft and, as such, rendering the aircraft totally unserviceable. The airline regretted that the incident had significantly impacted its operations, as the aircraft was rostered to operate multiple flights within the airline’s network over the coming days.

The airline further lamented that consequently, several scheduled services would experience delays, while some may be cancelled as it works to mitigate the disruption through fleet adjustments.
The statement added: “We sincerely apologise to our esteemed passengers whose travel plans may be affected by this unforeseen ground handling incident.

“Our operational and customer service teams are actively working to minimise the inconvenience by providing available alternatives and ensuring that affected passengers receive the necessary assistance.”

The airline reiterated that the safety of its passengers, crew and equipment remained the highest priority, adding that it was working closely with the relevant ground handling company and aviation authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and prevent a recurrence.