AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Passengers onboard an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt were thrown into panic on Sunday morning after the aircraft veered off the runway while landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The airline, in a statement by its spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, confirmed the incident, stating that Flight P47190 “had a runway excursion after landing safely.” The aircraft reportedly “veered slightly off the runway without any damage,” and all passengers disembarked calmly with no injuries recorded.
“We reassure the flying public of our unflinching commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety in all our operations,” the airline added.
Sunday’s incident is the second in recent months involving the airline. On May 11, an Air Peace aircraft was forced to remain grounded at the Asaba International Airport after it struck a large antelope while taxiing on the runway. The impact destroyed the animal and disrupted flight operations.
Commenting on the Asaba incident, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, noted that while such occurrences may be beyond an airline’s control, operators are still expected to uphold their obligations to passengers.
