By Akinwale Kasali
There was palpable tension at the tarmac of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, as the Akwa Ibom State Government-owned airline, Ibom Air, had an emergency evacuation of passengers.
The aircraft with number IAN 4157 and 128 passengers, departed Abuja for Lagos at 10.30a.m. It landed at the international runway in Lagos on schedule at 11.41 am.
Upon taxiing on the runway, the Pilots noticed an indication from the main wheels, suggesting a malfunction. Immediately, there was an announcement that the aircraft will be towed.
Although the Pilot tried to reassure the passengers of their safety, they were said to be uncomfortable with the development.
The airline buses rushed to transport passengers out of the tarmac and the airline engineers tried to address the issue and move the aircraft out of the runway.
Reacting swiftly, Ibom Air General Manager, Marketing and Communication, Aniekan Essienette, in a statement said: “In accordance with company procedure, rather than taxi the full distance to the domestic terminal, the crew opted to turn off into the international cargo apron from where stairs and buses were positioned to disembark the passengers and take them to the domestic arrival hall.
“All 128 passengers on board were safely disembarked and transported to the arrival hall at MMA2, while our Engineers work on the fault.
“This statement is given to clear any ambiguity while expressing our regrets to our passengers for the inconvenience.”
