On Thursday morning, an Air Peace flight bound for Lagos was unexpectedly grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja due to a bird strike.
The flight, scheduled to depart at 6:30 a.m., was on the runway and ready for takeoff when the incident occurred.
Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer from Lagos who was a passenger on the flight, took to social media to share his experience.
He said, “While taxing on the runway and just before takeoff, our Air Peace flight from Abuja to Lagos scheduled for 6:30 AM today was stopped forcefully, resulting in panic and screams by some passengers.
“The captain attributed the incident to a bird strike. We have been deboarded to await either a replacement or repair of the aircraft.
“Thankfully, whatever happened did not occur after takeoff. It would have been scarier.”
Fortunately, Air Peace swiftly replaced the aircraft that was affected, allowing passengers to reboard within 30 minutes.
Effiong expressed concerns about the airport’s bird control measures, sparking similar stories from other passengers online.