Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has expressed sympathy with passengers and crew members involved in Thursday’s runway excursion involving the state-owned Enugu Air aircraft at Benin Airport, describing the safety of travellers as the airline’s top priority.
In a statement personally signed on Friday, Mbah thanked God that no lives were lost and no injuries had been reported following the incident involving Enugu Air Embraer E170 Flight 4264 from Lagos to Benin.
“The Enugu State Government is aware of the runway excursion incident involving Enugu Air Embraer E170, Flight 4264, operating from Lagos to Benin on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
“The government empathises with the 63 passengers and five crew members on board the aircraft over the traumatic experience and is thankful to God that no life was lost and no injuries have so far been reported,” the governor said.
Mbah commended the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau for promptly launching an investigation into the incident and pledged the state government’s full cooperation with investigators and other regulatory authorities.
He reiterated that Enugu Air operates under strict safety standards, stressing that the airline places safety above profit and operational schedules.
“While awaiting the outcome of the investigation, the government assures the public that the operations of Enugu Air are guided by the highest safety standards. The airline is founded on a corporate culture that places safety above profit and schedules, and its quality assurance and quality control systems stipulate a safety threshold considerably higher than the industry benchmark,” he stated.
The governor said the airline would continue to serve passengers while maintaining its commitment to safety, professionalism and hospitality.
Mbah also thanked Nigerians for their support and solidarity following the incident, noting that many had continued to share positive experiences with the airline since its launch a year ago.
“The Enugu State Government wishes to express its profound gratitude to Nigerians for the outpouring of solidarity since the unfortunate incident. Quite uncommonly, Nigerians have continued to share their positive experiences with Enugu Air since it was launched a year ago. This matters so much to us as a government at this time,” he added.