Passengers Alarmed as Air Peace Flight Makes Emergency Stop in Abuja

Passengers Alarmed as Air Peace Flight Makes Emergency Stop in Abuja

By Fly Cable News

An Air Peace flight traveling from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to Lagos made an emergency stop early Thursday morning after suspected technical issues.

The incident, which occurred during taxiing just before takeoff, caused panic among passengers, many of whom shared their concerns on social media.

One of the passengers, prominent human rights lawyer Inihebe Effiong, described the situation on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying the flight, scheduled for 6:30 AM, was “forcefully” halted during taxiing.

He reported that passengers were startled, and some screamed in fear as the plane came to an unexpected stop. Effiong further mentioned that the flight’s captain attributed the issue to a bird strike, raising questions about the effectiveness of the bird detection equipment at Abuja’s airport.

The lawyer expressed relief that the incident occurred before takeoff, noting that it would have been far more frightening if it had happened in the air. He also wondered whether the airport’s bird strike radar system was functioning properly.

Following the incident, passengers were deboarded and awaited either a replacement aircraft or repairs to the original one.

Another anonymous passenger confirmed the event and questioned the bird strike explanation, suggesting that the issue might not have been caused by a bird strike.

In response to the incident, Air Peace issued a statement confirming that the aircraft had indeed been stopped before takeoff due to a bird strike.

The airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ejike Ndiulo, expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the affected passengers and those on other flights experiencing delays.

The airline assured passengers that a replacement aircraft had been deployed to minimize disruptions and allow travelers to continue their journeys promptly.