The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered relevant aviation agencies to investigate a runway excursion involving an Enugu Air aircraft at the Benin Airport.
Keyamo disclosed this in a post on X on Friday, stating that the aircraft skidded off the runway after landing safely, with all passengers and crew members unharmed.
“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,” the minister said.
He added, “I have directed all the relevant agencies to work closely with Enugu Air to unravel the cause.”
The incident occurred on July 23 when an Enugu Air aircraft with registration number 5N-ENR veered off the runway while landing at Benin Airport.
The aircraft reportedly had 68 passengers on board, apart from the crew.
In a statement issued after the incident, Enugu Air confirmed that all passengers and crew members safely disembarked from the aircraft, with no injuries or fatalities recorded.
The airline also said the aircraft had been secured and that relevant aviation authorities had been notified in line with established procedures.
Airlines suspend flights to Benin
The incident resulted in the closure of the airport’s runway, disrupting flight operations in and out of Benin.
Following the development, Air Peace suspended its flights to and from Benin Airport, citing the runway closure and apologising to affected passengers for the inconvenience.
United Nigeria Airlines also announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Benin pending the reopening of the runway.
“We wish to inform our valued passengers and the general public that, due to the closure of the runway by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as a result of an excursion, all our flights to and from Benin Airport have been cancelled pending its reopening,” the airline said.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”
The airline advised affected passengers to contact its customer service team for rebooking and other forms of assistance.