The General Manager, Corporate Affairs of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, on Saturday confirmed an incident involving Air Peace aircraft P47291 at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers.
The plane which skidded off the runway was said to have come to a halt some 200 meters in the bush by the runway. It was gathered that all passengers have been evacuated and driven to the arrival area.
Yakubu said although the Boeing 737-500 aircraft skidded off the runway, the pilot was able to stop the aircraft. She noted that in spite of the rain, the undercarriage of the aircraft did not sink into the soil.
“All passengers disembarked successfully. There was no casualty,” Yakubu said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, attributed the incident to the flooding of the runway.
Olajide said: “We confirm that Air Peace Flight P47291 Abuja-Port Harcourt had a runway excursion upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport on June 22 due to downpour.
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“Our professional crew quickly recovered within seconds of the incident and the aircraft was successfully normalised.
“Our esteemed passengers on board the flight were calm during the incident and disembarked normally.
“Our teams of experts and the authorities are currently reviewing the incident and we will give our cooperation for a thorough exercise.
“We apologise to our esteemed passengers for the inconvenience caused them and wish to assure them that we will continue to prioritise their safety in all our operations.”
The affected aircraft have been granted for inspection by the aviation authorities.