Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, has come under scrutiny following what it described as “temporary disruptions” across parts of its network after two of its aircraft were involved in separate bird strike incidents.
In a statement issued on Friday, the airline confirmed that Flight P47868 operating the Lagos-Asaba route and Flight P47424 on the Lagos-Kano route experienced bird strikes upon arrival. While the carrier characterised the incidents as routine operational challenges, the development has once again exposed the fragile state of flight reliability within Nigeria’s aviation space.
According to the airline, both aircraft were returned to base in line with safety protocols for mandatory inspections and technical checks by its engineering team. Alternate aircraft were deployed to minimise inconvenience to passengers, but affected travellers reportedly faced delays and uncertainty before replacement arrangements were concluded.
Bird strikes, which occur when birds collide with aircraft, can cause significant structural or engine damage and in some cases pose serious safety threats. Aviation analysts note that such incidents are not new to Nigeria’s airspace, particularly during certain seasonal and weather conditions. However, recurring cases point to persistent shortcomings in wildlife hazard management around airport environments. Questions are now being raised about the effectiveness of preventive measures at key airports, especially on high-traffic routes such as Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Asaba.
Critics argue that frequent operational interruptions, whether caused by bird strikes or other technical issues, continue to erode passenger confidence in domestic air travel. They contend that airlines, including major operators, must strengthen contingency planning and fleet redundancy to prevent routine safety occurrences from cascading into widespread network disruptions.
Air Peace apologised to passengers and reiterated that safety remains its top priority. Yet for many industry watchers, the apology does little to address deeper systemic challenges facing the aviation sector, ranging from airport infrastructure gaps to environmental risk management.
As Nigeria’s aviation industry continues to expand, stakeholders insist that both airlines and airport authorities must intensify collaboration to tackle wildlife hazards more proactively. Without sustained and measurable improvements, incidents that are often described as “routine” may continue to disrupt schedules, inconvenience passengers, and expose vulnerabilities in operational preparedness.
By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
