Normalcy Returns At MAKIA After Max Air Tire Incident

Flight operations of landing and departure have resumed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano following an incident of the front tire of Max Air plane bursting while landing on Tuesday night.

Officials at the airport confirmed this to LEADERSHIP on Wednesday, saying the affected aircraft has been moved away from the runway at about 4:00 am on Wednesday and the landing and departure subsequently resumed at 8:00am.

Also, in a statement issued by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, it confirmed that the plane did not crash land but had an incident of tire bursting while landing.

“On January 28, 2024, at 10:50 LT, a Max Air Boeing 737, registration 5N-MBD, experienced a nose wheel landing gear collapse and a rear tire burst while landing on Runway 06/24 at MAKIA. On board the aircraft were 53 passengers and 6 crew members. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the passengers or the crew members on board.

“Emergency services responded promptly, and the incident was managed according to the emergency response plan. The aircraft has been towed to Bay 5 for further investigation, which is ongoing by Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to determine the root cause of the incident.

“The runway was opened at 08:00hrs, after cleaning and normal flight operations have resumed,” FAAN stated.