According to Simple Flying, Nigerian carrier Air Peace has requested a full investigation by Nigeria's regulatory and security agencies following three separate ground collisions within a month at Lagos Airport.
Local media reported that the Airbus A320 (ES-SAZ) had been damaged three times on the ground at Lagos.
During the most recent incident on January 4, the aircraft’s elevator was struck by a ground vehicle carrying stairs – this incident grounded the aircraft.
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) admitted that its employees hit the jet while driving down the runway to attend to another aircraft, ignoring the airport’s safety procedures, according to Simple Flying.
The employees are reported to have hit the A320 due to a blind spot. The aircraft was immediately grounded for repairs and inspection, resulting in the cancellation of a morning flight to Owerri.
Several services across Air Peace’s network were significantly affected. Spokesperson Stanley Olisa expressed frustration over the repeated incidents and their impact on the airline. “This is the third time in one month. The aircraft is now grounded, and we don’t know when it will be up again. The NAHCO staff had no reason to be where he was. He was not assigned to the aircraft and how he rammed into our aircraft is still shocking,” said Olisa in the report.
Air Peace has raised concerns over sabotage.
An initial investigation by NAHCO itself ruled out that possibility, saying that Air Peace was its primary client. Yet, several NAHCO operators and operational officials have since been suspended, while others remain under investigation.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have called on airport contractors to install modern equipment and adequately train staff to prevent further incidents.
Air Peace has requested that Nigeria’s regulatory and security agencies thoroughly investigate the handling company’s staff and the frequency of its incidents.
