Air Peace has confirmed that its Flight P47190—operating from Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos to Port Harcourt—experienced a runway excursion upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport earlier Sunday.
In aviation terms, a runway excursion refers to an incident where an aircraft departs from the designated runway surface during takeoff or landing, either by veering off or overshooting it.
Spokesperson for the airline, Mr. Osifo-Whiskey Efe, said in a statement that the aircraft “veered slightly off the runway without any damage.”
All passengers on board disembarked “safely and calmly. No injuries were reported”, the airline confirmed.
The airline also reassured the public of its dedication to operational safety.
“We reassure the flying public of our unflinching commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety in all our operations,” the statement concluded.
Recall that on May 11, an Air Peace aircraft was grounded at the Asaba International Airport in Delta State after it collided with a large antelope while taxiing on the runway.
The impact decimated the animal and rendered the aircraft on the ground, causing flight disruptions.
Confirming the incident, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, via his official X account, clarified the implications of such occurrences.
Achimugu emphasised that while such events are beyond the control of the airline, they do not absolve operators from their responsibilities to passengers.
This latest incident comes roughly seven months after a similar occurrence involving an Allied Air cargo plane.
On December 11, 2024, a Boeing 737-400 (5N-JRT) operated by Allied Air skidded off Runway 22 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The aircraft, which had arrived from Lagos as Flight AJK206, veered off to the right and came to a stop on the grass verge.
