Flight services of Air Peace Airlines were again disrupted following a bird strike incident on its aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa, Port Harcourt.

A statement by the spokesperson of Air Peace, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, yesterday, said that the attack, which occurred in the morning, had led to the airline’s flight disruptions across its network.

Bird strikes have been one of the major menaces of indigenous airlines, with the carriers losing over N20 billion yearly to such incidents.

Just last week, United Nigeria Airlines grounded some of its network following a bird strike incident at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

The aircraft, an Airbus 320, had departed Asaba International Airport in Delta State for Lagos before the incident. The incident occurred as the pilot was preparing to land the aircraft at the airport. Two birds were discovered to have been sucked in by the aircraft.

Osifo-Whiskey stated that yesterday’s incident occurred when one of its aircraft operating the Lagos–Port Harcourt route struck a bird on arrival at the airport.

The incident, he emphasised, forced the aircraft to be grounded for mandatory safety and technical inspections. He emphasised that this had caused delays to several flights on the airline’s network, as operational adjustments were made to ensure passenger safety and regulatory compliance. He declared that the bird strike was unforeseen, but required immediate action in line with aviation safety procedures.

He expressed the airline’s regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers, noting that bird strikes remained a persistent and largely unavoidable challenge in aviation operations, particularly around airport environments.

“This has necessitated checks on the affected aircraft and the deployment of another aircraft to convey passengers of subsequent flights on our network.

“We deeply empathise with passengers affected by this incident and are working diligently to minimise disruptions across our services,” he added. He further reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to safety, assuring that Air Peace would always prioritise thorough inspections over schedule adherence. (The Guardian)

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