By Emmanuel Nduka
The 18/Left runway at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, has reportedly been temporarily closed following an incident involving an XEJET Airline plane skidding off the runway and into the grass upon landing with 52 passengers on board.
The situation is worrying for Nigeria’s Aviation credentials, as incidents of aircraft skidding off runways have become increasingly common, with more than three occurrences reported within the last 30 days alone.
The aircraft with registration number 5N-BZZ reportedly departed Abuja, the Nigerian capital and landed Lagos at 11:29 am on Saturday, May 11.
As usual, the temporary closure of the runway leaves the airport with only one operational runway, which is expected to result in flight delays and disruptions, Heritage Times HT reports.
Meanwhile, emergency response teams, including fire and rescue services, promptly inspected the aircraft to prevent potential fire outbreaks.
Recent Mishaps
In April, a Dana MD-82 aircraft was involved in a similar runway skidding incident, prompting Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to order the suspension of the carrier for a comprehensive audit.
Similarly in November of last year, two aircraft belonging to separate airlines experienced runway skidding incidents within the span of a week.
One of the incidents involved Aero Contractors Flight NG 119, operated by a Boeing 737 aircraft with registration 5N-BYQ, traveling from Lagos to Abuja. The flight carried a total of 133 passengers.
Fortunately, all passengers were safely evacuated.
