DANA Air management said it grounded the aircraft that skidded off the runway in an attempt to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday, April 23, pending further investigation.
The 5N BKI aircraft, which was carrying 83 passengers from Abuja, suffered a runway excursion at the Lagos Airport.
The airline confirmed the incident to The ICIR in a statement from its Head of Corporate Communications, Kingsley Ezenwa.
A runway excursion occurs when an aircraft veers off the runway in use during the take-off or landing run.
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According to the statement, the incident has been reported to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“Dana Air regrets to inform the public of a runway incursion involving one of our aircraft, registration number 5N BKI, which was flying from Abuja to Lagos today 23/04/24.
“We have also updated the AIB and NCAA on the incident, and the aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation,” the airline stated.
It noted that passengers onboard the aircraft were safely disembarked without injuries and apologised to all passengers, commending the efforts of the airport authorities.
“We wish to thank the airport authorities, and our crew for their very swift response in ensuring the safe disembarkation of all passengers following the incident and our sincere apologies and appreciation to the passengers on the affected flight for their patience and understanding.
“We wish to reassure our passengers that their safety will always be our top priority, and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Dana Air has had troubles with safe operations in recent years, The ICIR reports.
In January 2018, a commercial aircraft belonging to Dana Air used its left wing to hit a fence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In July 2022, the NCAA suspended the airline’s Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC), on issues of financial obligations and conduct of safe flight operations.
The suspension came following an emergency landing due to what its management described as “an indication” on one of its engines.
In 2012, 159 passengers died on one of the airline’s flights when it crashed into buildings in Lagos.
Airline apologies for flight cancellation
In a related development, Dana Air has apologised to passengers for schedule disruption caused by the runway excursion involving one of its aircraft at Lagos airport.
The airline said, ”We understand the frustration and inconvenience experienced by passengers whose travel plans were disrupted due to the incident, and we are deeply sorry.’
”Our remaining flights for the day have all been retimed, and all the passengers on these flights have been updated via email, SMS and calls. We wish to also reassure affected passengers that we are working diligently to minimise disruption and accommodate their travel needs.”