Aviation industry experts have raised heavy concerns after an aircraft belonging to XeJet Airline skidded off the runway at the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos State yesterday.
According to a terse statement released by the airline on Sunday morning, there were no casualties.
In the statement by the airline which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York; “XE Jet Limited has confirmed that one of their aircraft, an Embraer 145 with registration 5N-BZZ operating on behalf of NG Eagle Airlines suffered a runway excursion whilst landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport’s 18L runway this afternoon at approximately 12.29hrs”.
“No casualties were reported. We are currently liaising with NCAA, AIB and NISB, and associated agencies and will issue a formal update in due course.”
The aircraft arrived in Lagos from Abuja and had about 52 persons on board.
In the wake of the incident, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) said it has deployed a team to the site.
“An aircraft belonging to XeJet Airline skidded off the runway at the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport this morning. A go team has been deployed to the site of the incident,” the NSIB said.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the incident is coming less than two months after a Dana aircraft skidded off the runway at the Lagos airport. There were no casualties too.
But the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo directed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend the airline due to the incident.
He also ordered an audit of Dana Air encompassing all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with the aviation sector’s regulations.
In recent times, many Nigerians have continued to emphasize on the importance of aviation safety.