Passengers aboard an Air Peace flight were thrown into panic earlier this week when the aircraft reportedly encountered sudden and severe turbulence mid-air. A video capturing the incident has since gone viral on social media, showing frightened passengers screaming, praying, and holding onto their seats during the ordeal.

The incident is believed to have occurred during a domestic flight from Lagos to Abuja, though the airline has yet to confirm specific flight details.

In the video, posted by TikTok user @bigmira1122, passengers are visibly shaken, with several crying out in fear as the aircraft experiences a rapid descent and shaking. The uploader recounted her experience, saying:

“I was traumatized. The plane just dey go down with speed. Everybody was shouting, everybody was praying and crying.”

As of Thursday morning, the video has been viewed over 1.6 million times on TikTok and other platforms, sparking widespread discussion among Nigerians online.

Public Reactions: Fear and Frustration

Social media reactions have been mixed. Some users expressed fear and vowed never to fly with Air Peace again, while others offered reassurance, pointing out that turbulence is a natural part of flying and not necessarily linked to airline negligence.

One user commented:

“I CRIED! Never again with Air Peace.”
While another responded:
“Turbulence is a weather-related phenomenon. You can’t blame the airline for what is beyond human control.”

What Experts Say

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), turbulence remains one of the most common causes of in-flight passenger injuries, but fatal incidents are rare. Aviation analyst Captain Isaac Ogunleye explained:

“Turbulence can be frightening, especially for first-time or infrequent flyers, but aircraft are engineered to withstand these conditions. Pilots are trained to respond swiftly, and passengers are advised to remain seated with seatbelts fastened.”

He further noted that such occurrences are often due to weather systems, jet streams, or atmospheric pressure changes and are usually temporary.

Air Peace Silent on Incident

As of the time of this report, Air Peace has not released any official statement addressing the incident. The airline, founded in 2013, is Nigeria’s largest privately owned carrier and has been involved in several domestic and international operations across Africa and the Middle East.

Calls placed to the airline’s communications department for comment have not been returned.

Global Context of Turbulence

This incident comes amid increased awareness of turbulence-related events worldwide. In May 2025, an IndiGo flight in India was hit by a violent hailstorm, causing the aircraft’s nose cone to be damaged and sparking similar fears among passengers. That aircraft also landed safely.

Meanwhile, a March 2025 viral video showed a U.S. passenger describing their experience as “my soul left Earth,” again highlighting the emotional toll that turbulence can take—even when no physical injuries occur.

Safety Advice for Flyers

Aviation safety bodies continue to urge passengers to adhere to safety instructions during flights:

  • Always keep seatbelts fastened when seated.

  • Avoid moving around during rough weather.

  • Listen to crew announcements and remain calm.

Turbulence may be uncomfortable, but modern aircraft are built to handle it, and pilots are trained to keep passengers safe under such conditions.

Conclusion

While the mid-air turbulence on the Air Peace flight clearly left many passengers shaken, aviation professionals stress that such events are not uncommon and are typically not life-threatening. The emotional responses seen in the viral video reflect genuine fear, but also underscore the importance of safety protocols and public education on flight turbulence.

Passengers and the public await a formal statement from Air Peace to clarify what happened and whether any procedural reviews will follow.