By Abubakar Yunus
The Chief Executive Officer of Enugu Air, Captain Tolu Ita, has clarified that the recent incident involving one of the airline’s aircraft at the Benin Airport was not a crash but a runway excursion caused by adverse runway conditions.
In a video posted on the airline’s official social media platforms, Ita said the aircraft safely landed after its scheduled flight from Lagos before veering off the runway during the landing roll.
She stressed that while the occurrence was a serious aviation incident, it should not be described as either a crash or an emergency landing.
“Following a scheduled flight from Lagos to Benin, the aircraft landed and, due to adverse conditions on the runway, experienced a runway excursion during the landing roll,” she said.
“We would like to reiterate that this was not a crash, nor was it an emergency landing, but it was a serious incident.”
The Enugu Air boss maintained that passenger safety remains the airline’s highest priority, saying every operational decision is guided by internationally accepted safety standards.
According to her, aviation authorities have commenced a full investigation into the incident, with the airline pledging full cooperation until the cause is established.
“As is standard practice across the global aviation industry, a full investigation is currently being conducted in close collaboration with the relevant aviation agencies to establish the complete facts surrounding this occurrence,” Ita said.
She added that the airline had confirmed the closure of the Benin Airport runway for three months, describing the decision as an appropriate step by the relevant authorities to address the situation.
Ita expressed appreciation to passengers, crew members, airport workers, military personnel, emergency responders and members of the public for their support following the incident.
She said all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries or fatalities recorded.
“We are deeply grateful that all passengers and crew members are safe. Most importantly, there were no injuries and no casualties,” she said.
Reaffirming the airline’s commitment to safety and accountability, Ita assured passengers that Enugu Air would continue to uphold the highest operational standards.
“We will not let you down,” she added.
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