By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By PETER ONYEKACHUKWU, ASABA
DELTA: Passengers at the Asaba International Airport in Delta State were thrown into confusion and disappointment on Saturday after an unexpected and bizarre incident involving an Air Peace aircraft and a wild antelope led to the grounding of the plane and disruption of scheduled flights.
The aircraft, which was preparing for takeoff, reportedly struck a large antelope that had wandered onto the runway, causing significant damage to the plane and killing the animal instantly. The impact forced the aircraft to remain grounded, leaving several passengers stranded.
Confirming the incident, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, described it as an unfortunate reminder of how factors beyond airlines’ control can affect flight operations.
“Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft AOG (aircraft on ground),” Achimugu said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
While emphasizing that the airline was not at fault, Achimugu called attention to a more pressing issue in Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem, wildlife hazard management at airports.
“This is not to excuse airlines when they fail in their duty to passengers,” he said. “But it’s important to recognize when delays are due to factors beyond airline control.”
He added that despite the unusual circumstances, airlines are still expected to provide care, timely communication, refunds, or alternative travel options in accordance with passenger rights regulations. Failure to comply could result in sanctions.
The incident comes amid rising scrutiny of Air Peace’s operations. Just last week, the NCAA cautioned the airline to streamline its operations in line with the available aircraft in its fleet following growing complaints of flight delays and cancellations. Air Peace, however, had insisted that its delays were often linked to safety and operational concerns rather than a shortage of planes.
Aviation stakeholders are now demanding a comprehensive review of safety measures at regional airports like Asaba, where perimeter fencing and wildlife patrols are said to be inadequate.
“The presence of wild animals on airport runways is a serious safety risk that should not be taken lightly,” said one aviation expert who preferred to remain anonymous. “We need better fencing, surveillance systems, and constant patrols to ensure incidents like this do not occur again.”
The unusual encounter has reignited debate over the readiness of many state-owned airports in Nigeria to meet international safety standards, particularly those located outside major cities.
As engineers continue to assess the damage to the affected aircraft and restore operations, Saturday’s incident serves as a surreal but sobering wake-up call for authorities to strengthen wildlife management and runway safety protocols across the country.