Flight operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport were disrupted on Friday after a ground handling vehicle struck a newly acquired Air Peace Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. The collision, involving a NAHCO luggage truck, damaged the plane’s engine cowling while passengers were boarding for a flight to Accra. This resulted in the grounding of the aircraft and the cancellation of its nine scheduled flight sectors, leaving roughly 150 passengers stranded and affecting future bookings through mid-January 2026.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident, noting that the airline faces significant financial losses, potential repair costs in the millions of dollars, and reputational damage for a situation beyond its control. NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu highlighted that such accidents are often caused by poorly trained ground personnel and suggested that the regulatory body may introduce stricter sanctions for service providers. While Air Peace has standby aircraft, officials noted they have lower capacity and were already deployed, making it difficult to mitigate the widespread delays caused by the grounding.
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