The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that Max Air will suspend its domestic flight operations for three months. This decision is a reaction to an incident involving one of the airline’s aircrafts last night. The aircraft with registration number 5N-MBD, B733 crash-landed on Tuesday night at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport after its front tire burst into flames during landing.
A statement on Wednesday by Michael Achimugu, the agency’s director of consumer protection and public affairs, said the suspension will take effect from midnight, January 31, 2025, to allow for an internal appraisal of its operations by its management.
In a statement on Wednesday, Max Air had assured the public that the situation was professionally managed, with all passengers and crew safely evacuated, adding that there were no injuries.
Achimugu however confirmed that the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has already launched an investigation into the incident, noting that the specific cause of the occurrence can only be determined after the investigation is completed.
“However, as a result of this incident, Max Air is suspending its domestic flight operations for a period of three months with effect from midnight, 31st January, 2025, to allow for an internal appraisal of its operations by its management.
“During this 3-month period, the NCAA will conduct a thorough safety and economic audit on Max Air. The resumption of Max Air’s domestic flight operations will be predicated on the satisfactory completion of this audit,” he said.
In July 2023, Max Air’s domestic operation were suspended for two weeks following the decision of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) due to several occurrences that involved its Boeing B737 aircraft.