Birdstrike incident responsible for disruption of Gatwick–Lagos flight – Air Peace
The management of Air Peace Limited has clarified that the incident of a birdstrike on the aircraft which it intended to operate a Gatwick- Lagos flight with on Friday May 1, 2026 led to the disruption of the flight.
The airline also refuted the claims that its passengers were left stranded in the United Kingdom airport.
These were made known in a statement by the management of West Africa leading airline to clarify what happened during the disrupted flight,
the airline said it had to subject the airline scheduled to operate the flight to serious inspection inline with its safety protocols said the passengers were duly informed about the development while provisions were made for their comfort.
“We would like to provide clarity on the situation, as this narrative does not accurately reflect the full circumstances surrounding the disruption.
“The affected flight experienced a bird strike, which is a recognised “force majeure” event in aviation, necessitating the immediate grounding of the aircraft for comprehensive safety inspections in line with global aviation standards. At Air Peace, safety is not negotiable, and under no circumstance would we operate an aircraft without the required safety clearance.
“Following this development, affected passengers were promptly informed of the incident and the cancellation of the service, and arrangements were made for their comfort, including hotel accommodation at the Hilton Hotel in London, Gatwick as well as necessary transit coordination,” the statement said.
The airline said it encountered additional operational which emanated from its ground handlers.
“However, we encountered additional operational constraints, including airport congestion and delays from ground handling services responsible for baggage retrieval. These factors affected the timely retrieval of passengers’ checked baggage, which in turn impacted the speed at which some passengers were transferred to their hotels,” it said.
The airline explained further that since it doesn’t exercise any direct control on the designated ground handlers, there was little it could do on the retrieval of passengers’ baggage on the affected aircraft.
“It is important to note that baggage handling at international airports is managed by designated ground handling companies, operating within strict airport procedures and regulatory protocols. As such, Air Peace does not exercise direct control over these processes, and all baggage retrieval must follow established due process,” Air Peace clarified.
Refuting the allegations of abandoning the passengers without communication with them, the airline said: “At no point were passengers abandoned. Communication was maintained with all affected passengers, and every effort was made to ensure their welfare throughout the disruption. We can confirm that all passengers were offered hotel accommodation at the Hilton London Gatwick, and those who elected to accept have now been accommodated, while we finalise arrangements for the deployment of another aircraft to complete the service.”
While it emphasised with the passengers on the inconvenience the flight disruption might have on them, the airline emphasised that passengers should understand that aviation operations are highly regulated and the regulations must be strictly followed for the safety of all.
“We recognise that aviation disruptions can be distressing, and we remain empathetic to the inconvenience experienced by our esteemed passengers. However, it is important to emphasise that aviation operations are not “plug and play.” They involve multiple stakeholders, layered safety protocols, and strict regulatory compliance, particularly in situations involving force majeure events such as bird strikes.”
The airline therefore urged passengers to always refrain from embarking on negative hounding of its brand when it is doing everything within the regulatory framework to ensure their safety
it said, “while we respect the right of passengers to express their concerns, we find the ongoing negative hounding of our airline over a safety-driven, force majeure incident to be shocking and unwarranted, especially in light of the timely announcements and necessary updates made by the Captain of the flight to all affected passengers, as well as the responsible and proactive steps taken to ensure passenger safety, communication, and overall care throughout the disruption.”
The airline has reiterated that it remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety, comfort, and overall well-being of our passengers, and we will continue to review our processes to further enhance our service delivery during unforeseen disruptions.
