Air Peace says it has lost about $42 million in revenue following repeated damage to its aircraft by ground-handling companies, with three major incidents recorded in the past 12 months.
The airline also alleged that its aircraft are damaged, on average, twice a year by the two major ground-handling companies operating at Nigerian airports, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO).
Speaking to The PUNCH by telephone, Air Peace spokesperson Efe Whiskey said three of the airline’s aircraft had suffered major damage within the past year, including two incidents recorded in 2026.
“The number of ground handling accidents that we have experienced thus far, on average, SAHCO and NAHCO damage our aircraft at least twice a year.
“It might not be as big as the other ones, but we have had three major ones that have been destroyed within the past 12 months. One happened last year, and two happened this year.
“In total, we have had three in the period spanning 12 months. However, on average, they damage our aircraft twice in a year,” Whiskey said.
He said the financial impact extended beyond the cost of repairing the aircraft, as the airline also lost revenue while damaged aircraft remained out of service.
“The revenue lost so far, especially from one aircraft, is $42 million. It is the airline, of course, that loses. They don’t pay for that revenue. They only pay for the damage,” he said.
According to Whiskey, the handling companies had agreed to pay $3.8 million towards repairs to the most recently damaged aircraft, while $3.2 million had already been paid for repairs to another aircraft damaged on Boxing Day.
“So, they have agreed now that they are going to pay $3.8 million to fix the latest one that they broke.
“Then the previous one that they broke on Boxing Day is $3.2 million. They have paid $3.2 million,” he said.
Whiskey said further expenses could arise when damaged aircraft or components had to be transported overseas for repairs.
“There are also scenarios where there is damage to aircraft, and we have to bring people from abroad to come and fix it. Either you bring people from abroad, or you try and fix a bit of the aircraft on your own. Then fly it there.
“So what we do is we remove the part of the aircraft and of course we ferry it over to those people over there, which costs $40m to ship damaged parts,” he said.
He added that the airline also incurred towing and cleaning expenses following ground-handling incidents.
“Then towing, especially when it is damaged, and you are paying in dollars, that is $700 for towing and cleaning up the area where it is damaged. That is the least money that we have had from them,” Whiskey said.
The spokesperson expressed concern that similar incidents could occur again, citing what he described as a recurring pattern of aircraft damage.
“According to our insurance predictions, they are going to damage our aircraft again this year based on previous reports and patterns that they have sent; we have seen that they are only damaging it like twice a year,” he said.
Previous incidents
Air Peace suffered a major operational disruption in December 2025 after ground-handling equipment damaged one of its new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Boxing Day.
The incident affected the aircraft’s operations and contributed to disruptions to several flights.
The airline has previously raised concerns over damage caused by ground-handling equipment. In January 2023, reports indicated that NAHCO equipment had damaged an Air Peace aircraft at Lagos airport, with the airline describing it as the third incident involving NAHCO equipment within a month.
The latest allegations highlight the financial and operational risks airlines face when aircraft are damaged during ground-handling operations, particularly when repairs require specialised personnel, replacement components or overseas logistics.
