Ramp Vehicle Crashes into Air Peace A320 in Lagos

A major operational disruption has hit Nigeria’s largest domestic carrier, Air Peace, following a freak ramp accident at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1 (MMA1) in Lagos.

An Airbus A320 aircraft belonging to the airline has been pulled from active service after sustaining significant engine damage from a runaway ground support vehicle.

The incident occurred shortly after Flight P47427 arrived safely from Kano and completed passenger disembarkation.

According to details released by Air Peace management, the accident was triggered by a sudden medical emergency on the tarmac when a baggage conveyor belt operator, identified only as Sunday and employed by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Plc, was positioning the equipment to offload baggage.

While manoeuvring the vehicle, he reportedly slumped and fell from the driver’s seat. With no one at the controls, the unmanned conveyor belt continued moving forward, crashing directly into the aircraft’s engine housing.

The operator was immediately rushed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) clinic, where he is currently receiving medical attention.

The impact caused extensive structural damage to the engine, immediately rendering the Airbus A320 unserviceable.

For Air Peace, which relies on high aircraft utilisation to sustain its extensive domestic network, the sudden grounding is a significant blow.

The affected aircraft had been scheduled to operate multiple domestic routes over the coming days. Its sudden removal from the rotation has severely squeezed fleet availability.

In a statement, the airline’s management offered its sincere apologies: “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.”

While ramp accidents of this nature are relatively rare, they present massive financial and logistical headaches for airlines.

Repairing a damaged aircraft engine requires exhaustive engineering inspections, specialised parts replacement, and stringent regulatory clearance before the jet can be certified fit for flight.

Air Peace emphasised that it is cooperating fully with NAHCo and relevant aviation safety authorities to investigate the circumstances of the incident and implement preventive measures.

The airline reiterated that the safety of its passengers, crew, and assets remains its guiding priority as it works to restore normalcy to its flight schedules.

Wole Shadare