Five Escape Unharmed as Plane Skids Off Abuja Runway, Airport Temporarily Closed
An Allied Air Cargo aircraft, registered 5N-JRT, skidded off Runway 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja this morning, leading to a temporary closure of the airport. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed the incident, which took place at 10:05 a.m., noting that five people were aboard the plane. Fortunately, all passengers were safely evacuated with no injuries. Mrs. Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, stated: “The Airport Emergency Response Team is at the scene, along with accident investigators. The runway is being cleared and is expected to reopen soon. We thank the aviation community and the public for their understanding and patience and urge everyone to refrain from speculation until the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) releases the preliminary report.” The evacuees were transported to the FAAN clinic for precautionary medical checks. Aviation stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation, and efforts are underway to resume normal operations at the airport.
