A new Air Peace Embraer E2 aircraft has been grounded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following a ground handling incident involving a conveyor belt operated by the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO).
According to an Air Peace official, a NAHCO conveyor belt struck the aircraft’s engine cowling during passenger disembarkation, causing a dent on the engine cover. As a result, passengers were made to disembark and the aircraft was immediately grounded for safety and technical checks.
The affected aircraft is one of Air Peace’s brand new Embraer E2 jets, the official said, noting that the incident led to the disruption of all nine flights scheduled to be operated by the aircraft for the day.
Highlighting the financial and operational impact, the Air Peace official recalled a previous incident in which an engine cowling damaged by a bird strike cost the airline about $3.5 million to replace. Beyond the high cost of repairs, the official said such incidents cause significant inconvenience to passengers, who are often unaware of the challenges airlines face due to ground handling failures.
“Innocent passengers will not understand what we go through in the hands of ground handlers’ ill-trained staff and poorly maintained, dilapidated equipment,” the official said.
The incident has once again raised concerns over ground handling standards and equipment maintenance at Nigeria’s busiest airport, amid repeated complaints by airlines over avoidable damage to aircraft and the ripple effects on flight schedules.
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