Nigeria: 'Air Peace Loses N3 Billion to Grounded Aircraft'

By Abdullateef Aliyu

Lagos — Chairman of Air Peace, Barr. Allen Onyema yesterday recounted how the airline lost three aircraft in 24 hours resulting in disruption to the airline flight schedules.

Two were grounded in Lagos when their wings collided at the Murtala Mohammad Airport (MMA) domestic terminal while being pulled out of the ramp while another one was hit by a truck belonging to the ground handling company, SAHCOL in Benin Airport.

Each of the aircraft was scheduled to operate between 7- 8 flights, he said, adding that the airline never planned for the incidents which occurred early in the day.

Onyema who briefed newsmen yesterday on the incident disclosed that the airline would lose over N3bn for the period the aircraft would be on ground.

The Air Peace boss who apologized to passengers for the inconveniences caused by the developments said the airline had begun move to fix the aircraft.

He blamed the incident on the rowdiness at the airport’s ramp where over 30 aircraft on ground were haphazardly packed. He said one of the damaged aircraft is a winglet aircraft with a wing costing $650,000, adding the company would be requiring over $300m to fix the aircraft.

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