The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered aviation authorities to investigate the runway excursion involving an Enugu Air aircraft at the Benin Airport, assuring Nigerians that all passengers and crew members were safe.
Keyamo, in a statement on Friday, explained that the aircraft did not crash but veered off the runway after completing a successful landing, an occurrence known in aviation as a runway excursion.
“I have been duly informed that the incident with Enugu Air yesterday in Benin is that the aircraft skidded off the runway after landing successfully (it is called ‘runway excursion’ in aviation terminology). Everyone was safe, ” he said.
The minister said he had directed relevant agencies to work with Enugu Air to determine the cause of the incident and ensure appropriate safety measures are taken.
The incident occurred on July 23 involving an Enugu Air aircraft with registration number 5N-ENR, which moved off the runway while landing at Benin Airport.
The aircraft was carrying 68 passengers, excluding crew members.
Enugu Air confirmed that all passengers and crew members evacuated safely without injuries or fatalities, adding that the aircraft was secured and aviation authorities were immediately informed in line with standard safety procedures.
Following the incident, the airport runway was temporarily closed, leading to disruptions in flight operations.
Several airlines, including Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, suspended flights to and from Benin Airport pending the reopening of the runway.
Air Peace described the disruption as unavoidable and apologised to passengers affected by the cancellations.
United Nigeria Airlines also informed passengers that all flights to and from Benin had been suspended due to the runway closure by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused, ” the airline said.
The airline advised affected passengers to contact its customer service channels for rebooking assistance while investigations into the incident continue.
