A potentially hazardous incident occurred earlier on Monday involving an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft operated by Air Peace Airlines.
As the plane descended into Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the windshield shattered.
Fortunately, despite the alarming nature of this event, the flight, which had departed from Akure in Ondo State at 8:30 am, landed at 9:40 am without further incident....CONTINUE READING
Notably, among the passengers on board was human rights advocate Omoyele Sowore, who was travelling to Abuja to attend a scheduled court trial.
Although the flight crew opted not to disclose the incident to the passengers, sources close to the matter revealed that it sparked significant concern within the aviation industry, given the rarity of such occurrences.
SaharaReporters further learnt that following the incident, Air Peace cancelled its Abuja to Lagos flight and also its planned Akure to Lagos flight.
“Although the crew did not inform the passengers, it created serious panic in the industry because this is very rare. But they’re covering it up,” the source said.
However, efforts made by SaharaReporters to reach the Managing Director/Chief Executive Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Bunmi Onabanjo Kuku, for comments failed as she did not answer her calls.
She also did not reply to a text message sent to her.
Mrs. Ijeoma Nwosu-Igbo, FAAN General Manager, Public Affairs and Protocol and Passages, said she was not authorised to offer any comment.
Efforts to reach the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) also failed as its Director, Public Affairs, Wunmi Oladeji, did not answer her calls or reply to a text message sent to her.
However, a staff member of Air Peace, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that it was only a crack that was detected, and it was promptly repaired.