Dare Babalola
Passengers on board an Arik Air flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt experienced a scare on Wednesday morning when the aircraft was suddenly diverted mid-air due to an engine malfunction, sparking panic among those on the flight.
This forced the crew to make a precautionary landing in Benin City.
The airline confirmed that its Boeing 737-700 aircraft, registered 5N-MJF, operating Flight W3 740, was descending into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the flight crew heard a loud bang from the left engine.
In line with established safety protocols, the pilots immediately opted to divert to the nearest airport as a precautionary measure.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely at Benin Airport without further incident.
Arik Air in an update confirmed that all 80 passengers and crew members on board disembarked safely, with no injuries reported.
The airline has since made arrangements to transport the affected passengers to their final destination in Port Harcourt.
The airline’s PR and Communications Manager, Adebanji Ola, Arik Air apologised for the disruption caused by the diversion and reassured passengers that safety remains its top priority.
“The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air. We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted,” the statement said.
Engineers are expected to carry out technical checks on the aircraft before it is cleared to resume operations.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the body responsible for investigation aviation incidents and accidents, is yet to speak on the incident.
