The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika has assured that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja has been opened for operation just a few hours after a tyre burst at the runway on Sunday.
While regretting all inconvenience, the Minister assured that the affected aircraft has been towed away and the runway swept, inspected, and certified for operation.
“Following the temporary closure of Abuja Airport due to an emergency landing by Max Air, I am happy to announce that the aircraft has been towed clear & we will open within an hour. Thanks for your patience & understanding. Well done to our fire fighting team who quenched the fire & operations staff who towed the aircraft away爐爐”
The Max Air aircraft has been towed away, 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 the patience & understanding. We regret the inconvenience.🤲🏽🙏🏽🇳🇬🇳🇬🙏🏽🤲🏽 pic.twitter.com/BbhTX0m6Pl
— Hadi Abubakar Sirika (@hadisirika) May 7, 2023
On Sunday, Max Air had a tyre burst when it flew into Abuja from Yola while landing. Rescue officials put out the fire while 144 passengers were disembarked from the airline.
A statement by Mr. Allen Onyema, the Vice President of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, allayed the fears of the public revealing that tyre bursts are a common occurrence in the industry.
The statement read: “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 have 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, counterproductive.
“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 they may be used by outsiders to affect the county’s rating.
“All Nigerian airlines are under very strict oversight by the 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.”
Meanwhile, the incident delayed flights in and out of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
