Passengers and crew aboard an Enugu Air aircraft escaped unhurt on Thursday after the plane crash-landed and veered off the runway while landing at Benin Airport.
The incident, which caused panic among passengers, ended without any loss of life as everyone on board was safely evacuated from the aircraft.
Confirming the occurrence in a statement, Enugu Air said the aircraft experienced a runway excursion after landing in Benin, adding that all passengers and crew members disembarked safely.
“Enugu Air wishes to inform the public that one of our aircraft operating into Benin experienced a runway excursion after landing today.
“We confirm that all passengers and crew have safely disembarked and there were no injuries or casualties.
“The aircraft has been secured and the relevant aviation authorities have been notified in line with established procedures. An assessment of the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the occurrence is currently underway,” the airline said.
The airline noted that the incident could lead to temporary adjustments to some of its flight schedules, assuring affected passengers that they would be contacted directly and provided with the necessary assistance.
It reiterated that the safety of passengers, crew and flight operations remains its highest priority and pledged to keep the public informed through its official communication channels as investigations continue.
Although the cause of the accident has yet to be determined, aviation authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the runway excursion in line with established safety procedures.
The incident comes amid growing attention to aviation safety in Nigeria, but the successful evacuation of all passengers and crew without injuries helped avert what could have been a major tragedy.