The Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager of Enugu Air, Captain Tolu Ita, has clarified that the airline’s recent incident at the Benin Airport was not a plane crash or an emergency landing, but a runway excursion caused by hydroplaning during landing.
Speaking in a video shared on the airline’s official social media page on Friday, Ita assured the public that all passengers and crew members on board the flight were safe, with no injuries or fatalities recorded.
“We are deeply grateful that all passengers and crew members are safe. Most importantly, there were no injuries and no casualties,” she said.
Providing details of the incident, Ita explained that the aircraft had been operating a scheduled service from Lagos to Benin when it landed safely but encountered hydroplaning while rolling on the runway.
“Following a scheduled flight from Lagos to Benin, the aircraft landed and, due to hydroplaning on the runway, experienced a runway excursion during the landing roll,” she explained.
She emphasised that the occurrence should not be described as either a crash or an emergency landing.
“This was not a crash nor was it an emergency landing, but it was a serious incident,” Ita stated.
According to the airline’s chief executive, a comprehensive investigation is already underway in collaboration with relevant aviation authorities to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the occurrence.
“As is standard practice across the global aviation industry, a full investigation is being conducted in close collaboration with the relevant aviation agencies to establish the complete facts surrounding this occurrence. We are committed to full cooperation with these agencies and will share verified updates as they become available,” she said.
Reaffirming Enugu Air’s commitment to passenger safety, Ita stressed that the welfare of passengers remains the airline’s highest priority.
“Nothing matters to us more than safety and the well-being of those who choose to fly with us. Safety is, and will always remain, the foundation of who we are as an airline,” she added.
She also expressed appreciation to passengers, flight crew, airport officials, military personnel, emergency responders, business partners and members of the public for their support and understanding following the incident.
“We understand the trust that passengers place in us every time they choose to fly with us, and we will never take that trust for granted… We will not let you down,” she said.
The incident occurred on Thursday when an Enugu Air Embraer E170 operating Flight 4264 from Lagos overran the end of Runway 05 while landing at the Benin Airport.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has since commenced an investigation into the runway excursion, confirming that all 63 passengers and five crew members were safely accounted for and that no injuries were reported.
The bureau said it would issue a preliminary report within 30 days, in line with aviation regulatory requirements.
Following the incident, Air Peace temporarily suspended flights to and from the Benin Airport after the airport’s runway was closed to facilitate recovery operations and ongoing investigations.
