The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has announced the suspension of operations by Max Air after a tyre burst incident involving one of its aircraft in Kano on Tuesday night.
The incident occurred at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport when a Max Air B734 aircraft with registration 5N-MBD experienced a tyre burst on landing at around 22:51 hours. Fortunately, the 53 passengers aboard the flight were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported. The aircraft was temporarily shut down, and the runway was reopened by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at 8:00 am on Wednesday.
This marks the third incident involving a Max Air aircraft in the past three months. Following the incident, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has initiated an investigation, with the NCAA pledging to support the NSIB in the process.
In a statement, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, confirmed the occurrence and stated, “The specific cause(s) of this incident can only be established after the NSIB has conducted its investigation.” He also highlighted that the NCAA had been working on organizational risk profiles for scheduled operators, including Max Air, which is nearing completion.
As a result of this incident, Max Air has decided to suspend its domestic flight operations for three months, effective from midnight on January 31, 2025. This suspension will allow the airline to conduct an internal review of its operations. During this period, the NCAA will conduct both a safety and economic audit of the airline.
The safety audit will involve a re-inspection of Max Air’s operations, personnel, procedures, and aircraft, while the economic audit will assess the airline’s financial stability to ensure its ability to maintain safe flight operations.
The resumption of Max Air’s domestic operations will depend on the successful completion of these audits. While the suspension may cause inconvenience to passengers, the NCAA emphasized that passenger safety remains the top priority. The authority has appealed for patience and understanding from the public during this process.
