BREAKING: Air Peace plane veers off runway in Port Harcourt

An Air Peace passenger flight traveling from Lagos to Port Harcourt skidded off the runway upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Sunday morning, prompting a swift response from the airline and aviation authorities.

The incident, which involved Flight P47190, occurred shortly after the aircraft touched down in Rivers State’s capital city. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among passengers or crew.

“Air Peace confirms that its Flight P47190, operating from Lagos to Port Harcourt this morning, had a runway excursion after landing safely at the Port Harcourt International Airport,” said the airline’s spokesperson, Osifo-whiskey Efe, in a statement released on Sunday.

The aircraft, according to the statement, “veered slightly off the runway without any damage.”

All passengers were able to disembark “safely and calmly,” the airline said, confirming that “no injuries were reported.”

Air Peace further assured the public of its ongoing commitment to flight safety.

“We reassure the flying public of our unflinching commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety in all our operations,” the statement concluded.

This is the second runway-related incident involving the airline in recent months. On May 11, an Air Peace jet was temporarily grounded at Asaba International Airport after colliding with a large antelope while taxiing. The unusual encounter led to flight disruptions but caused no harm to passengers.

The Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, weighed in on the May incident, noting via his official X account that such occurrences, though rare, do not exempt airlines from their responsibilities to travelers.

Achimugu stressed that while some incidents are beyond an airline’s control, they must still prioritize passenger welfare and ensure compliance with aviation standards.