BREAKING: FG grounds Max Air for three months following Kano incident

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has suspended Max Air’s operations after an incident involving one of its aircraft in Kano on Tuesday night.

A Boeing 737-400 belonging to Max Air, registered as 5N-MBD, suffered a tyre burst while landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport at approximately 10:51 p.m. on January 28, 2025.

Although all 53 passengers on board were safely evacuated, the aircraft was temporarily grounded before the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) reopened the runway by 8:00 a.m. the following day.

This marks the third incident involving a Max Air plane in the past three months.

Confirming the incident, the NCAA stated that it would collaborate with the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to determine the cause.

Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, emphasized that a thorough investigation by the NSIB is necessary to establish the specific reasons behind the occurrence.

Achimugu further revealed that the NCAA had already been conducting risk assessments on all scheduled operators, including Max Air.

However, in light of this latest incident, the airline has opted to suspend its domestic flights for three months, effective midnight on January 31, 2025, to allow its management to review internal operations.

During this suspension, the NCAA will carry out an in-depth safety and financial audit of Max Air.

The safety inspection will involve evaluating the airline’s personnel, procedures, and aircraft in line with aviation regulations, while the financial review will assess its economic stability to ensure continued safe operations.

The resumption of Max Air’s domestic flights will depend on the successful completion of these audits.

The NCAA acknowledged that this decision might inconvenience passengers but reaffirmed that passenger safety remains its top priority, urging the public to be patient while the necessary safety measures are implemented.