Air Peace has officially announced the cancellation of its scheduled return flight from Warri to Lagos after one of its aircraft suffered a bird strike incident during its arrival sequence in Delta State.
The incident occurred as the aircraft was touching down at the Osubi Airport, a vital domestic aviation hub serving the commercial city of Warri and its environs.
Following the encounter with the birds on the runway, the flight crew managed a safe landing, after which the aircraft was immediately handed over to the airline’s ground engineering team.
Technicians and safety inspectors launched a comprehensive technical and safety assessment to evaluate the extent of any impact damage.
In a statement released, Air Peace spokesperson Osifo-Whiskey Efe detailed the preliminary findings of the technical team, explaining that the impact zone required deeper scrutiny before the plane could be cleared for passenger service again.
“Preliminary inspections revealed the need for further checks on the landing gear, necessitating the grounding of the aircraft in accordance with established aviation safety procedures,” Efe stated.
“As a result, the scheduled return service from Osubi to Lagos has been cancelled.”
Because bird strikes can compromise vital structural elements, sensors, or engine components, international aviation regulations mandate rigorous, multi-tiered inspections before an aircraft can return to the skies.
“In this specific instance, the focus shifted to the landing gear assembly to ensure no structural or hydraulic compromise occurred during the high-speed landing roll.
Recognising the significant disruption to travelers’ schedules, Air Peace moved to activate its passenger contingency protocols. The airline confirmed that it is taking full responsibility for the welfare of the stranded passengers while logistics are being sorted out.
To mitigate the inconvenience, Air Peace has arranged full hotel accommodations within Osubi for the affected travelers. The airline’s ground team is currently working on alternative operational arrangements to ensure all passengers are safely transported to their final destinations in Lagos as quickly as possible.
In the statement, management expressed profound regret over the operational hitch, extending an apology to everyone whose travel plans were upended by the sudden cancellation.
“At Air Peace, safety remains our foremost priority,” the airline emphasized. “While disruptions of this nature are regrettable, every operational decision is guided by our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance.”
The carrier concluded its brief by thanking the affected passengers for their patience, resilience, and cooperation under the circumstances, adding that further logistical updates and rescheduled flight timelines will be communicated directly to them as the situation progresses.
