Passengers experienced a frightening ordeal on Monday when the windshield of an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft operated by Air Peace cracked upon landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to The PUNCH, the incident, which occurred as the aircraft touched down, raised concerns among those on board and airport personnel who witnessed the event.
Human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore was among the passengers traveling to Abuja on the affected flight.
A bystander at the airport, identified simply as Funmi, described the incident as alarming and expressed frustration with the airline’s handling of the situation.
She criticized Air Peace for failing to provide immediate clarification on what had caused the windshield to crack.
Efforts to reach the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Abdullahi Musa, proved unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to text messages seeking comment on the matter.
The spokesperson for the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Bimbo Olajide, stated that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority would be the appropriate body to address the incident.
She clarified that the NSIB is responsible for investigating serious incidents and accidents, while this occurrence fell under the NCAA’s jurisdiction as it was categorized as a minor incident.
“The NSIB is tasked with investigating accidents and serious incidents. This particular development is classified as an incident, not a serious incident or accident, which places it under the purview of the NCAA,” Olajide explained.
Contacted by phone, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, promised to follow up with his team and provide more information but failed to respond before publication.
When asked about the events that led to the windshield’s cracking, Air Peace’s Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, reacted angrily, defending the airline’s safety record.
She dismissed claims that the incident had endangered passengers and criticized the focus on negative reporting.
“Why are you quick to publish negative news about your own?” she challenged. “Where were you when British Airways had engine issues and was grounded in Lagos for four days? Why wasn’t that published? This is not a fight, but I’m just wondering where you gathered this incorrect information from. We did not have a shattered screen, nor was passenger safety compromised. What happened is a normal snag, and necessary safety measures were implemented. The safety of our equipment and passengers is our top priority.”
An insider from the airline, speaking anonymously to avoid breaching company protocol, confirmed the incident but clarified that the windshield had only cracked and was not shattered as initially reported.
He added that the aircraft was taken out of service temporarily as a precautionary measure to ensure safety standards were upheld.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about aviation safety and transparency in Nigeria’s airline industry, raising questions about how such situations are communicated to the public and handled by relevant authorities.