The Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager of Enugu Air, Captain Tolu Ita, has clarified that the airline’s recent runway excursion at Benin Airport was not a crash or an emergency landing, and confirmed that all passengers and crew members on board were safe.

In a video shared on the airline’s official page on Friday, Ita said the aircraft experienced a runway excursion after hydroplaning during landing, stressing that no injuries or fatalities were recorded.

“We are deeply grateful that all passengers and crew members are safe. Most importantly, there were no injuries and no casualties,” she said.

Explaining the incident, she said the aircraft, which was operating a scheduled flight from Lagos to Benin, experienced a runway excursion after hydroplaning during landing.

“Following a scheduled flight from Lagos to Benin, the aircraft landed and, due to hydroplaning on the runway, experienced a runway excursion during the landing roll,” she said.

Ita stressed that “this was not a crash nor was it an emergency landing, but it was a serious incident.”

She said a full investigation was underway in collaboration with the relevant aviation authorities, adding that Enugu Air would cooperate fully and provide verified updates as they become available.

“As is standard practice across the global aviation industry, a full investigation is being conducted in close collaboration with the relevant aviation agencies to establish the complete facts surrounding this occurrence. We are committed to full cooperation with these agencies and will share verified updates as they become available,” she said.

Reaffirming the airline’s commitment to safety, Ita said passenger welfare remained its top priority.

“Nothing matters to us more than safety and the well-being of those who choose to fly with us. Safety is, and will always remain, the foundation of who we are as an airline,” she said.

She also thanked passengers, crew members, airport personnel, military personnel, emergency responders, partners and members of the public for their support following the incident.

“We understand the trust that passengers place in us every time they choose to fly with us, and we will never take that trust for granted… We will not let you down,” she added.

The incident occurred on Thursday when an Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft operating Flight 4264 from Lagos overran the end of Runway 05 while landing at the Benin Airport.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has commenced an investigation into the runway excursion, confirming that all 63 passengers and five crew members were safely accounted for and that no injuries were recorded. The bureau said a preliminary report would be issued within 30 days in line with regulatory requirements.

The incident also prompted Air Peace to suspend flights to and from the Benin Airport following the temporary closure of the airport’s runway.

Watch video here:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐄𝐧𝐮𝐠𝐮 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡, 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬

Credit: X | Enugu Air
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