The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the controversial landing and subsequent departure of a private aircraft from a road near Asaba, Delta State, describing the incident as a serious violation of aviation rules and a potential security threat.
The aircraft reportedly failed to land at Asaba Airport on Wednesday morning and instead touched down on a concrete roadway under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State.
In a statement released on Thursday through his media aide, Tunde Moshood, Keyamo explained that the aircraft had attempted to land around 7:43 a.m. local time but was unable to access the airport runway before making a safe landing on the unfinished road.
Earlier, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced that the aircraft had been grounded immediately upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of an investigation. The regulator also suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight and commenced a comprehensive review of the incident.
Reacting to the development, Keyamo expressed relief that the incident did not result in any loss of life. However, he noted that the circumstances surrounding the landing and the aircraft’s later departure had raised significant concerns.
“The Honourable Minister, while expressing gratitude that no lives were lost, described the incident and the events that followed as a matter of grave regulatory and security concern,” the statement said.
The minister further disclosed that investigators had established that air traffic authorities were informed only after the aircraft had already taken off.
“It has further been established that Air Traffic Control was only notified after the aircraft was already airborne, implying that the flight departed without the necessary operational clearance.”
According to Keyamo, such conduct is unacceptable and amounts to a major breach of aviation safety procedures.
“The NCAA has placed the flight under comprehensive regulatory review and has commenced further inquiries into both the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent unauthorised departure of the aircraft from the location,” he stated.
The minister added that the NCAA is working alongside the aircraft operator, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and other relevant stakeholders to establish exactly what transpired.
He stressed that the aviation regulator would thoroughly examine all records connected to the aircraft and its operator.
“The NCAA will undertake a thorough review of all operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight-related records associated with the aircraft and operator, and will not hesitate to impose further enforcement actions as may be warranted under the applicable civil aviation regulations,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Keyamo revealed that the flight crew had been taken into custody by security agencies and were cooperating with investigators.
“The Honourable Minister has been in contact with the relevant security agencies and has received assurances that the flight crew are currently in their custody and is fully cooperating with ongoing investigations,” the statement said.
Assuring Nigerians of transparency throughout the process, the minister vowed that anyone found culpable would face the consequences of their actions.
“The minister assures the public that a thorough and transparent investigation will be conducted and that all appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings.
“No individual or operator, irrespective of status, will be permitted to circumvent established aviation procedures designed to safeguard lives and maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s airspace system.”