An Air Peace flight was recently grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after it collided with a large antelope while taxiing on the runway, causing significant flight delays. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has sparked widespread attention, especially regarding the disruption it caused to scheduled flights.
According to Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the impact of the collision resulted in the antelope being completely destroyed, while the aircraft was left grounded, affecting its operations.
Achimugu shared the details of the event via his official X account, shedding light on the situation. “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft AOG (aircraft on ground),” he noted.
The collision left the aircraft unable to operate, which meant that passengers scheduled to fly on this particular flight were faced with delays. The NCAA confirmed that engineers are currently on-site at the airport working to assess the situation and make the necessary repairs. However, the incident has led to understandable frustration among the waiting passengers who were affected by the unexpected disruption.
Achimugu further noted that this situation is a prime example of the types of disruptions that are outside the control of airlines, such as wildlife collisions. “Incidents like this are literal illustrations of the disruptions NOT caused by the airlines (domestic or international),” he explained. Despite the airline’s lack of control over such incidents, Achimugu pointed out that airlines are still responsible for ensuring that passengers are properly cared for during delays or cancellations.
He went on to clarify that while the circumstances were beyond the airline’s control, it does not excuse the airline from its obligations to passengers. “This explainer is for illustration purposes, not to excuse airlines when they fail to do their duties to passengers,” he said.
In light of this event, Achimugu emphasized that the airline still holds a duty to provide essential services to passengers, such as timely information, refunds, and other forms of care that passengers are entitled to. Furthermore, airlines can face penalties if they fail to meet these responsibilities.
“Even with situations like this, the airline still owes its passengers the information, refund, and other forms of care they are entitled to, and can still be sanctioned if they fail to provide the same,” Achimugu added.
