The Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager of Enugu Air, Captain Tolu Ita, has dismissed reports describing Thursday’s runway excursion at the Benin Airport as a plane crash or emergency landing, insisting the aircraft merely veered off the runway after hydroplaning during landing.
Speaking in a video shared on the airline’s official social media platforms on Friday, Ita assured the public that all 68 people on board the aircraft were safe and that no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
“We are deeply grateful that all passengers and crew members are safe. Most importantly, there were no injuries and no casualties,” she said.
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According to Ita, the Embraer E170 was operating a scheduled service from Lagos to Benin when the incident occurred during its landing roll.
“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 stressed that while the incident was serious, it should not be described as a crash.
“This was not a crash nor was it an emergency landing, but it was a serious incident,” Ita stated.
The airline boss said Enugu Air was cooperating fully with aviation regulators as investigations continue into the incident.
“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 the airline’s commitment to safety, Ita described passenger welfare as 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 said.
She also thanked passengers, crew members, airport officials, military personnel, emergency responders, partners and members of the public for their support following the incident.
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“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 added.
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 has since launched an investigation into the runway excursion, confirming that all 63 passengers and five crew members were safely evacuated without injuries. The agency said a preliminary report would be released within 30 days in line with aviation regulations.
