In a bid to address safety concerns in the nation’s aviation industry, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), has summoned heads of aviation regulatory agencies.
The invitation is coming barely 24 hours after a Lagos-Abuja local airline – United Nigeria Airline — landed at Asaba airport in Delta State, citing poor weather conditions.
The flight, NUA 0504, took off on Sunday from the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Terminal 2, Lagos, for Abuja.
However, the pilot landed the aircraft at the Asaba International Airport, causing some confusion among the passengers.
Timesreporters Online reports that in the last 14 days, the nation has witnessed three runway excursions in two international airports with no fewer than 10 reported incidents this year.
According to the minister, a thorough assessment of recent incidents will be carried out during the meeting.
“Due to safety concerns in the aviation sector expressed by members of the public, I have summoned the heads of the regulatory agencies to my office later today to review the incidents that are the causes of these concerns, and to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to forestall future occurrence and to apply sanctions, where necessary, regarding the past incidents,” Keyamo wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
He restated the concerns of several aviation stakeholders and the challenges faced by the sector regarding infrastructure, management and navigational safety, among others.
