The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has made the decision to suspend Max Air’s operations after an incident involving one of its aircraft in Kano on Tuesday night.
The Max Air B734, with registration 5N-MBD, suffered a tyre burst while landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport around 10:51 PM on January 28, 2025. Thankfully, all 53 passengers aboard the flight were evacuated without any injuries.
The aircraft was temporarily shut down, and the runway was reopened by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at 8:00 AM the following day.
This is the third incident in just three months involving a Max Air plane, raising serious concerns about the airline’s operations. Following the incident, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation, and the NCAA has pledged to provide full support throughout the process.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, explained, “The specific cause of the incident can only be determined after the NSIB completes its investigation.” He also mentioned that the NCAA was in the process of completing organizational risk profiles for all scheduled operators, including Max Air.
In light of the incident, Max Air will suspend all of its domestic flights for three months starting at midnight on January 31, 2025. This suspension will give the airline time to review its internal operations. During this period, the NCAA will conduct thorough safety and financial audits on the airline.
The safety audit will involve re-examining Max Air’s operations, procedures, and aircraft, while the economic audit will assess the airline’s financial stability to ensure it can maintain safe operations moving forward.
Max Air will only be allowed to resume operations once these audits are completed satisfactorily. While the suspension may be inconvenient for passengers, the NCAA stressed that passenger safety is their top priority. They have appealed for the understanding and patience of the public as they work to ensure safe and reliable air travel.
