Following a bird strike that hit Air Peace flight P47150 on Lagos-Owerri route yesterday, forcing the aircraft to return to Lagos, the airline has informed its passengers that there could be disruption of flights, and apologised for the delays.
With the bird strike, the pilot-in-command of the flight made an air return, just as the airline appealed to its passengers to be patient, while another aircraft was deployed to service the route.
Air Peace further disclosed that it had recorded frequent bird strikes in most of its domestic routes, with 34 bird strikes recorded this year alone and 115 in the last five years.
In a statement issued yesterday on the flight disruption, the airline stated: “This morning, flight P47150 operating Lagos-Owerri route experienced a bird strike and had to make an air return for safety checks. We regret to inform our valued passengers of ongoing flight disruptions on some of our route networks today. We empathise with our passengers over the inconvenience caused and appeal for your patience and understanding as we work diligently to minimise disruptions”.
Last week Air Peace flights suffered bird strike on Owerri and Port Harcourt routes respectively and the aircraft involved were grounded for days for repairs before they were taken back to service.
Also, an official of the airline told THISDAY: “This is number 34 bird strike for this year alone. Please make this known to the public because passengers will blame the airline for delays and cancellations but most of the causes of flight disruptions are beyond the airline.”
However, it is the responsibility of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to keep birds away from the airports.
FAAN had recently announced that it was taking a different and more positive approach to keep birds away from the airports.
