Air Peace reports $42 million loss due to poor aircraft handling

The airline stated that three of its aircraft have been seriously damaged in the past 12 months, with two incidents occurring this year. According to Air Peace spokesperson Efe Whiskey, the two major ground handling companies, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, damage their aircraft at least twice a year on average. Whiskey explained that the financial impact includes not only repair costs but also lost revenue from grounded aircraft.

The handling companies have agreed to pay $3.8 million for repairs to the most recently damaged aircraft and have already paid $3.2 million for another aircraft damaged on Boxing Day. Additional costs are incurred for transporting damaged aircraft parts abroad for repairs, which can be up to $40 million, and for towing and cleaning, which costs $700. Air Peace expressed concern about future incidents, citing insurance predictions based on past patterns of damage.

A significant operational disruption occurred in December 2025 when ground-handling equipment damaged an Embraer 195-E2 aircraft at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, leading to flight disruptions. In January 2023, Air Peace also raised concerns after NAHCO equipment damaged an aircraft at Lagos airport, marking the third such incident involving NAHCO within a month.