- Says Aircraft Grounded As Investigation Commences
By Abiola Olawale
The management of Dana Air has affirmed that one of its aircraft skidded off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos in the morning on Tuesday, April 23.
Dana Air, in a statement issued on Tuesday, confirmed that its aircraft, with the registration number 5N BKI, was involved in the incident.
The airline explained that the aircraft, which flew from Abuja to Lagos, skidded off the runway while attempting to land at the airport.
The airline also confirmed that there were no casualties recorded, stating that it had informed the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of the incident.
The statement reads: “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 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 AIB and NCAA on the incident, and the aircraft involved has been grounded by our maintenance team for further investigation.”
The management thanked the airport authorities and its crew for ensuring the safety of all passengers onboard the aircraft.
The statement added: “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 been involved in several unwanted situations like this. In January 2018, a commercial aircraft belonging to the airline used its left wing to hit a fence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The Dana flight, with registration number 5N-DEV from Port Harcourt, brushed the fence while trying to park after it landed at the NAIA.
Six months ago, the aircraft engine of a Dana Air plane reportedly exploded shortly before take-off from Lagos.
However, in a statement by the company, Dana Air denied the explosion, saying its aircraft only experienced “some operational challenges” leading to “non-scheduled maintenance.”
Also in July 2022, the NCAA suspended Dana Air for multiple regulatory infractions.
The authority said it suspended the operating licenses of the company after “discovering that the airline is no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.”
Dana Air resumed flight operations five months after the suspension.
Also, in 2012, a major national tragedy was recorded when a Dana airplane crashed in Lagos killing about 159 persons. Mechanical failure and pilot error were said to have caused the crash.
