The runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was temporarily closed to traffic today to enable clearance operations after a Max Air aircraft crash-landed Sunday morning.
Reports said a tyre reportedly burst into flames when the plane landed at the airport arriving from Yola.
The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Service operatives at the airport were swiftly mobilised to put off the fire. There were no casualty.
Former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Mike Ogirima, who gave an account of the incident said the tyre burst occurred after takeoff at Yola Airport.
However, the aircraft crash-landed in Abuja with emergency officials already on ground to put off the fire before the passengers were disembarked right at the runway.
“We thank God. We are still on the runway and pilot has reassured us. He has called for the stairs and we are now disembarking from the runway to be evacuated to the airport building at the arrival hall.
“We bless God because we have witnessed the pull out of the tyre right from the airport in Yola and we went into prayer session. I never announced it as a surgeon so as not to cause any panic but we bless God”, Ogrima recounted.
The passengers were safely disembarked from the runway while the runway was temporarily for the evacuation of the aircraft.
An official of the airline who confirmed the incident said all passengers were safely disembarked
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to stay away and not disrupt flight operations at airports over their grievances in Owerri.
Managing Director, FAAN, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu speaking with newsmen in Lagos, deplored the planned action by labour.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the unions, on Wednesday, disrupted flight operations to Owerri over alleged disruptions of their May Day rally by miscreants.
Yadudu said: “They wrote to us that our workers would come and picket the Lagos Airport and they should not allow flights to fly Owerri Airport because their members were harassed by Imo State Government.
“However, for any organisation that is licensed by the government to behave in personal interest and not national interest, is very unfortunate.
“It has nothing to do with labour or workers in Nigeria; in fact, they undermined aviation. The more you distress aviation, the more you are creating vulnerability for uncertainty.
“What happened that day is very regrettable and just a sign of ego massage and I think that has no place in aviation,” he said.
Yadudu said the unions’ action was illegal and a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act which puts aviation as an essential service.
He said the unions undermined the nation by carrying out the action, noting that FAAN would not tolerate such anymore.
The Managing Director said that he had written to the Ministry of Aviation, notifying them of the need to protect the aviation sector from the action of labour.
Yadudu reiterated that the aviation industry needed the confidence of stakeholders, to boost operations.
