When Air Peace’s Flight P47190 returned to base on Saturday following multiple bird strikes en route to Port Harcourt, the airline responded promptly. An official apology was issued, and the carrier reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safety and international aviation standards.
However, this latest incident has sparked wider industry concerns — not just about bird strikes, but about their frequency and their disproportionate association with one airline.
Air Peace and Bird Strikes: A Disturbing Pattern
This is not the first time in 2025 that Air Peace has faced such an issue. By conservative estimates, at least four incidents involving bird strikes have been reported by or linked to Air Peace within the first half of the year alone. While bird strikes are not uncommon globally, the recurrence involving a single carrier raises several questions.
Is Air Peace flying into more vulnerable zones than its competitors? Is it simply more transparent in reporting such incidents? Or is this an indication of a deeper problem rooted in the Nigerian aviation infrastructure?
Whatever the case, the spotlight now falls not just on Air Peace, but on the country’s airport safety protocols — particularly in relation to environmental and wildlife management.
Airports Under Scrutiny
Bird strikes typically occur near airports, particularly during takeoff or landing. Poor waste management, stagnant water, unregulated food vendors, and a lack of wildlife control measures make many Nigerian airports — including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt — particularly susceptible.
Despite global best practices that include bird radar systems and active habitat monitoring, many Nigerian airports still operate without such technologies. The question, therefore, is not why Air Peace is encountering bird strikes, but why Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure is not better prepared to prevent them.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) bear significant responsibility in addressing these concerns. Without proactive wildlife management policies, adequate funding, and real-time monitoring systems, airlines — no matter how competent — will remain at risk.
A nationwide bird strike mitigation strategy is long overdue. The industry must move from reaction to prevention, from apologies to preparedness.
Public Perception and Airline Reputation
For Air Peace, the constant association with bird strike incidents poses a different challenge — that of public perception. As Nigeria’s most visible and ambitious carrier, it finds itself under constant media and public scrutiny. While the airline has consistently demonstrated transparency and responsiveness, repeated headlines of bird-related emergencies can erode passenger confidence over time.
Ironically, Air Peace’s openness may be why it appears more frequently in such reports. It is plausible that other operators experience similar risks but lack the same public-facing communication channels or policy of disclosure.
A Sector-Wide Wake-Up Call
This is not just an Air Peace problem — it is an industry-wide red flag. Bird strikes are a growing threat to aviation in Nigeria, and the time has come for government agencies, airport operators, and airlines to act collectively.
Improved airport sanitation, investment in avian radar systems, and consistent enforcement of wildlife control protocols must be prioritised. The safety of passengers and the integrity of flight operations depend on it.
Until then, each bird strike will continue to ground not just planes, but public confidence in Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
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