Air Peace has confirmed that a brand-new aircraft was damaged on the ground, resulting in widespread flight disruptions. According to a press statement signed by spokesperson Fred Chukwuelobe, the incident occurred when a ground handler’s conveyor belt struck the aircraft’s engine cover while passengers were already onboard.
Passengers had to be deboarded, and nine scheduled sectors for the aircraft were affected, raising potential refund and compensation issues for the airline. The repair costs are substantial, with the engine estimated at $18 million and the casing around $3.5 million.
The damaged aircraft, one of Air Peace’s new E2 models, was fully booked until January 15, 2026. Its grounding is expected to cause significant delays and cancellations for passengers scheduled on its flights.
This is not the first technical setback for Air Peace. In a previous incident, a bird strike caused over $3 million in damage and required a month for replacement parts to arrive.
NCAA spokesman Michael Achimugu called for stricter oversight of ground handling personnel. “Air Peace has suffered technical issues through no fault of theirs. Poorly trained staff cost airlines reputational, financial, and technical damage,” he said.
Achimugu added that while the airline has two standby aircraft, both are currently deployed for other emergencies, and their seating capacities are smaller than the damaged E2.
He urged passengers to understand the situation and stressed that airlines should not be held responsible for accidents caused by ground handling failures.
The airline confirmed that it is assessing both the operational and financial impact of the incident, as it works to minimise disruption for affected passengers.