Max Air has announced a three-month suspension of its domestic flight operations following an incident involving one of its aircraft at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
A spokesman for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, confirmed the suspension in a statement on Wednesday, hours after the incident occurred on Tuesday night.
Incident Details
The affected flight, a Boeing 737-400 aircraft with registration 5N-MBD, suffered a landing gear collapse and tire burst upon landing at 10:51 p.m., causing panic among passengers. However, all 53 passengers and six crew members onboard escaped without major injuries.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed that the runway has since been cleared and normal flight operations have resumed at the airport. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Regulatory Response and Audit
In response, the NCAA stated that Max Air would suspend domestic operations from midnight on January 31, 2025, to allow for an internal review of its safety protocols.
“The NCAA will support the NSIB in its investigation. It must be stated that the specific causes of this incident can only be determined after a thorough probe by the NSIB,” the regulatory body stated.
Additionally, the NCAA will conduct a comprehensive safety and economic audit of Max Air.
“The safety audit will reassess Max Air’s organization, procedures, personnel, and aircraft, in line with Part 1.3.3.3(b) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. The economic audit will evaluate the airline’s financial health to ensure it can sustain safe flight operations,” the statement read.
Max Air’s return to service will be contingent on the satisfactory completion of these audits.
Past Infractions and Safety Concerns
Wednesday’s suspension is not the airline’s first regulatory sanction. In July 2023, the NCAA suspended Max Air’s operations over similar safety concerns, though the restriction was later lifted.
The NCAA acknowledged the inconvenience to passengers but reiterated that ensuring safety remains its top priority.
