Max Air aircraft on Sunday landed with busted tyres at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
The management of Max Air disclosed that all the 143 passengers, including an infant on board the aircraft with registration No: 5N-MBD, were in safe condition.
Max Air in a public announcement signed by the management and made available to journalists in Abuja, noted that the flight experienced tyre bursts during landing, after departing from Yola at around 14:05hr and was scheduled to arrive in Abuja at 15:00hr.
According to the statement, “We are pleased to report that all passengers and crew on board the aircraft are safe and sound.
“The airline has taken all necessary steps to ensure that the passengers are comfortable and are being taken care of during this time
“They have been conveyed to the arrival terminal with their luggage and belongings. Further investigations to be carried out before being released for future flights. The aircraft tyres are being replaced and the aircraft will taxi to the ramp to know what transpired.
“We thank all the passengers for their patience and understanding, emergency services and all relevant agencies who responded promptly and the airline would like to extend its appreciation to the airport authorities, professionally to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew on board,” the statement read.
THISDAY learnt that when the aircraft crash-landed, there were emergency officials already on ground to put off the fire before the passengers were disembarked right at the runway.
This was even as the spokesperson of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Tunji Oketunbi, hinted that their staff have commenced investigation into the matter.
An official of the airline who confirmed the incident, but pleaded to remain anonymous, revealed that the passengers were safely disembarked.
He expressed gratitude to God for the safety of all the passengers and crew members.
Also, former president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Mike Ogirima, who gave an account of the incident, said the tyre burst occurred after take-off at Yola Airport.
Ogirima said: “We thank God. We are still on the runway and pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall.
“We bless God because we witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God.”
The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service (ARFFS) operating at the airport were swiftly mobilised to put off the fire.
The development led to the cancellation of flights at the Abuja airport.
However, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has decried the sensational reporting of the incident involving Max Air flight that had emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and said such exaggerated report creates unnecessary fears in the minds of the flying public.
The aircraft suffered burst tyre on landing, which petrified the passengers but nobody was hurt in the incident.
In a statement released by AON and signed by its Vice President and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, the Association said that such incident can happen to any airline.
“Today, an aircraft belonging to Max Air which took off from Yola Airport had a tyre burst on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. No passenger or crew was hurt in the incident as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
“While we thank God Almighty for His protection of all on board that aircraft, we, in AON, decry the penchant for sensational reporting anytime such incident occurs. Tyre bursts occur now and then in the industry and has nothing to do with the airline’s safety standards. Such reports only tend to create unnecessary fears in the minds of the unsuspecting flying public and, as such, counter productive,” the statement said.
The body also said that Max Air is a safe with good safety record and therefore should not be ridiculed because of this incident.
“AON states that Max Air is one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed because of this incident. Tyre burst can happen to any airline in the world. We plead with the flying public to be mindful of the consequences of sensationalizing such occurrences in aviation, as it may be used by outsiders to affect the county’s rating.
“All Nigerian airlines are under a very strict oversight by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), hence no room for unsafe practices by any Nigerian airline. This tyre burst incident does not and, will never, detract from Max Air’s well-known safety standards,” the statement also said.
