Tragedy was averted at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Monday, as fire gutted the tyres of an aircraft operated by Dana Airlines Limited.
The incident occurred as a result of the fire that broke out underneath the aircraft.
However, about 50 passengers of the aircraft were rescued unhurt, following the prompt response of the fire service at the airport.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Tuesday morning, Dana Air spokesman, Kingsley Ezenwa, said the incident occurred when the pilot of the aircraft was taxiing to repark after he observed an anomaly on the aeroplane.
Ezenwa noted that the aircraft has been grounded pending the conclusion of their investigations.
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The statement read: “Our aircraft with registration number 5N JOY, operating flight 9J 344 from Port Harcourt to Lagos on 2nd of May, 2022, was set to take off when the pilot in command noticed an anomaly which he queried with the Air Traffic Control (ATC), before embarking on a ramp return in line with our strict safety operating procedures.
“However, the impact on the brakes as a result of the aborted take off affected the aircraft tyres which sparked off while the aircraft was taxiing to repark
“All 50 passengers onboard the aircraft disembarked safely and our maintenance team have immediately grounded the aircraft pending the conclusion of their investigations.
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“Once again, we sincerely apologise to all the passengers on the flight for the inconveniences caused due to the eventual cancellation of the flight.
“At Dana Air, the safety of our passengers and crew will remain a top priority in all aspect of our operations and we will continue to operate in accordance with the civil aviation regulations and global best practices.”