…83 passengers evacuated to safety
By Chinelo Obogo
Dana Air has grounded one of its aircraft with registration number 5N BKI, after it veered off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
The airline confirmed the incident, saying that the aircraft was flying in from Abuja to Lagos on Tuesday,April 23 when the incident occurred but that all 83 passengers were evacuated to safety.
“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 on Tuesday, April 23.
“We are relieved to confirm that all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare as the crew handled the situation with utmost professionalism.
“We have also updated the NSIB and NCAA on the incident and the aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation.
We wish to thank the airport authorities, 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,” the airline said.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said it has deployed its team of investigators to the scene of the incident and investigation has commenced.