May 09, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has confirmed that the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport has been reopened for operations hours after an aircraft belonging to Max Air crash-landed on Sunday afternoon.
The minister disclosed this in a tweet posted on his official Twitter handle late on Sunday.
“The Max Air aircraft has been towed away, the runway has been swept, inspected & certified. The airport is now reopened for operations. Well done management & staff of Abuja. Thanks to all our customers for their patience & understanding. We regret the inconvenience…” the minister wrote.
There was panic at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday after an aircraft belonging to Max Air, which took off from Yola, crash-landed along the runway of the airport.
The incident occurred around 3:00pm and no fatality was recorded. However, the development grounded many flights coming in and out of Abuja for several hours.
According to Max Air, the affected aircraft had 143 passengers and an infant onboard.
“…the aircraft experienced two tire bursts on landing in Abuja, and the emergency response team quickly responded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,” a statement by the airline noted.
It said: “We are pleased to report that all passengers and crew on board the aircraft are safe and sound.”
In a statement issued by the Vice President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Allen Onyema, over the issue on Sunday, the body said that tyre burst can happen to any airline in the world.
Mr Onyema urged the media not to sensationalise its reporting whenever such incidents occur.
“…Tyre bursts occur now and then in the industry and have nothing to do with the airline’s safety standards,” the statement said.
According to the statement, sensationalistic reporting of such incidents will only create fears in the minds of the flying public, a development he described as “counter-productive”.
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
