Air Peace claims it suffered a $42 million financial hit due to subpar plane maintenance.

Air Peace has revealed a staggering loss of approximately $42m in revenue due to the repeated damage inflicted on its aircraft by ground-handling companies, with three of its planes suffering significant damage over the past 12 months.

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The airline has also made allegations that its aircraft are damaged twice every year, on average, by the two major ground-handling companies, namely the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc.

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Efe Whiskey, the spokesperson for Air Peace, disclosed in a phone conversation that the airline experienced three major aircraft damage incidents within the past 12 months, with two of these incidents occurring this year.

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Whiskey stated that the ground-handling accidents have been frequent, with SAHCO and NAHCO damaging Air Peace aircraft at least twice a year, resulting in significant losses for the airline.

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The financial impact of these incidents extends beyond the cost of repairs, as the airline also incurs revenue losses while the damaged aircraft remain grounded, with Whiskey citing a revenue loss of $42m from one aircraft alone.

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According to Whiskey, the handling companies have agreed to pay $3.8m for repairs to the most recently damaged aircraft, in addition to the $3.2m already paid for repairs to another aircraft damaged on Boxing Day.

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The airline incurs additional costs when damaged aircraft or components need to be transported abroad for repairs, which can be a complex and expensive process.

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Whiskey explained that the process of repairing damaged aircraft can involve bringing in foreign experts or shipping damaged parts abroad, which can cost up to $40m.

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Towing and cleaning costs are also incurred following these incidents, with Whiskey mentioning that the airline has been charged $700 for towing and cleaning up the damaged area.

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Whiskey expressed concerns that the airline may suffer similar incidents in the future, citing previous patterns of aircraft damage and insurance predictions that suggest another incident may occur this year.

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In December 2025, Air Peace experienced a major operational disruption after a ground-handling equipment incident damaged one of its brand-new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Boxing Day.

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This incident resulted in disruptions to several flights and affected the aircraft's operations, highlighting the significant impact of ground-handling accidents on the airline's operations.

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Air Peace has previously experienced incidents involving ground-handling equipment and its aircraft, including an incident in January 2023 where NAHCO equipment damaged an Air Peace aircraft at the Lagos airport.