BREAKING: XEJET Airlines skids off runaway at Lagos airport
An Xejet aircraft arriving from Abuja to Lagos has skidded off the runway, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has confirmed.
Following the incident which happened at 11:29 AM, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has shut the Runway 18L of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
CRYSTALNEWS also learnt that the aircraft, with registration 5N-BZZ, had 52 passengers on board, just as a fire and rescue team were on the ground to help in the evacuation of the passengers.
Confirming the incident, NSIB said: “An aircraft belonging to XeJet Airline skidded off the runway at the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed Airport this morning. A go team has been deployed to the site of the incident.”
Meanwhile, last month, Dana MD-82 aircraft was involved in a runway excursion incident that resulted in the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, ordering the suspension of the carrier for a comprehensive auditing.
After calling for the airline’s suspension, Keyamo had said: “The last thing I want to happen to me as Aviation Minister is to have blood on my hands.
“I mean the blood of innocent Nigerians caused by negligence or deep complicity of those who are supposed to be regulators of the aviation industry.
“As minister, my job is to supervise them, and to ensure they carry out their duties. My job is not to regulate.”