NCAA bans American pilot from Nigerian airspace over Asaba airport incident

The Airbus A320 aircraft of Air Peace on Tuesday suffered significant damage at the Lagos airport, following a crash into the aircraft by the equipment of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc.

In a statement yesterday, the management of the airline said that 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, rendered the aircraft totally unserviceable.

The airline, which 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, further lamented that several scheduled services would experience delays, while some may be cancelled as it works to mitigate the disruption through fleet adjustments.

“We sincerely apologise to our esteemed passengers whose travel plans may be affected by this unforeseen ground handling incident,” the statement further stated.

In another development, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has barred the American pilot involved in the recent aviation incident at Asaba Airport from operating in Nigerian airspace.

The agency also suspended the aircraft’s First Officer pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.

It would be recalled that the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 601-3A, operated by VMO Aero Limited with American registration No. N989BC, had on June 10, 2026, landed on an incomplete roadway in Asaba, instead of Asaba Airport.

Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, who disclosed the decision yesterday during the ongoing airport business summit in Lagos, said the regulatory authority had taken immediate enforcement actions after taking over the regulatory aspect of the investigation from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

According to him, the pilot-in-command has been removed from flight operations in Nigeria and prohibited from flying within the country’s airspace, while the aircraft involved had remained grounded with its Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) suspended.