Max Air has officially confirmed a serious incident involving one of its aircraft at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Tuesday night.
The airline assured the public that all passengers and crew members onboard were safely evacuated.
The aircraft, a Boeing with registration number 5N-MBD, was carrying 53 passengers from Lagos when it suffered a tyre burst while attempting to land at approximately 10:57 p.m. The airline reported that the nose landing gear tyre was lost during the process.
In a statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) handle, Max Air commended its crew for handling the situation professionally.
“We wish to inform the public that one of our aircraft experienced an incident upon landing in Kano yesterday,” the statement read.
The airline added that the runway was temporarily closed for inspection and clearance, leading to potential delays in flight operations on Wednesday.
However, it confirmed that the aircraft was successfully removed from the runway by 4:28 a.m.
“There were no injuries, and the aircraft has since been removed from the runway. Our Max Air engineering team continues to demonstrate excellence in handling such situations,” the airline stated.
In response to the incident, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has ordered an immediate and thorough inspection of the airport runway.
Efforts to reach the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau for comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to the agency’s spokesperson went unanswered.
This latest occurrence comes just weeks after another Max Air flight experienced a fire emergency.
In December 2024, a Max Air aircraft departing Maiduguri was forced to make an emergency landing after catching fire mid-air, with nearly 100 passengers, including Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Kadafur, escaping unhurt.
