By Fred Chukwuelobe
Another Air Peace aircraft has reportedly been involved in yet another ground handling incident with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), leaving one of the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft significantly damaged and disrupting scheduled operations.
This would be the third publicly reported incident of its kind involving Air Peace and NAHCO in about three years. At what point do repeated occurrences cease to be viewed as isolated mishaps and begin to warrant closer scrutiny?
Nobody is suggesting sabotage for now. Nobody is accusing anyone of wrongdoing. But when the same airline repeatedly suffers similar incidents involving the same ground handling company, the public is entitled to ask legitimate questions.
Coincidence remains a possibility. So do operational lapses, inadequate supervision, equipment failure, procedural deficiencies or human error. Determining which of these, if any, is responsible is precisely why thorough and independent investigations exist.
The first question regulators should answer is straightforward: Have other Nigerian airlines experienced a similar pattern of aircraft damage involving the same ground handling company over the same period? If the answer is yes, the public deserves to know. If the answer is no, that raises an equally important question: why does Air Peace appear to be the recurring victim?
These are not accusations. They are questions arising from observable events. Ignoring them does not make them disappear.
The implications extend far beyond the cost of repairing a damaged aircraft. Every aircraft taken out of service disrupts carefully planned schedules, causes delays and cancellations, inconveniences thousands of passengers, affects business activities and imposes significant financial losses on the airline. In an industry already grappling with high fuel costs, exchange rate volatility, expensive maintenance, multiple taxes and infrastructure challenges, such disruptions carry enormous consequences.
Air Peace occupies a unique place in Nigerian aviation. As Nigeria’s largest indigenous airline, it has expanded domestic connectivity, opened new international routes, created thousands of jobs and demonstrated that a Nigerian carrier can compete on the global stage. Whether one supports the airline or not, its operational stability is a matter of national economic interest.
That is why every serious incident involving the airline deserves more than routine explanations.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has a responsibility not only to investigate each occurrence on its merits but also to determine whether a broader operational pattern exists. If deficiencies in ground handling procedures are identified, they should be corrected without delay. If negligence is established, accountability must follow. If systemic weaknesses are uncovered, they should be addressed before a more serious accident occurs.
NAHCO also owes the aviation community a clear explanation. More importantly, it owes every airline it serves the assurance that whatever caused these repeated incidents has been identified and that effective corrective measures have been implemented.
Aviation is built on trust. Passengers trust airlines. Airlines trust ground handlers. Ground handlers trust regulators to enforce standards without fear or favour. That chain of confidence is essential to the safety and integrity of the entire industry.
For that reason, this latest incident should not simply be filed away as another unfortunate occurrence. It should be investigated thoroughly, transparently and professionally. The findings should be made public, and any lessons learned should strengthen the industry’s safety culture.
Nigerians deserve answers. The aviation industry deserves answers. Air Peace deserves answers.
Until those answers are provided, one question will continue to linger whenever another such incident is reported:
Why does it always seem to be Air Peace?
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