United Nigeria Airlines has suspended all flights to and from Benin Airport after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) closed the airport’s runway following an aircraft excursion.
The airline announced the temporary suspension in a statement issued on Thursday by its management, noting that flight operations would remain on hold until the runway is declared safe and reopened.
The runway closure came hours after an aircraft overshot the runway after landing at Benin Airport, prompting aviation authorities to suspend operations while recovery efforts and safety inspections are carried out.
In the statement, the airline said, “We wish to inform our valued passengers and the general public that, due to the closure of the runway by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as a result of an excursion, all our flights to and from Benin Airport have been cancelled pending its reopening.”
United Nigeria Airlines expressed regret over the disruption and advised affected passengers to reach out to its customer service team for assistance with rebooking and other travel arrangements.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused. All passengers who have been affected by this development are advised to contact our customer service for further information and any assistance needed with rebooking.
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We are open to offering any needed assistance because the welfare of our passengers is our priority,” the statement read.
The airline further appealed to passengers for patience and understanding while efforts are underway to restore normal operations.
“We plead for your understanding at this time and sincerely apologise again for any inconvenience this may have caused.
We appreciate your patience and are immensely grateful for your trust in United Nigeria Airlines,” it added.
An aircraft excursion refers to an incident in which an aircraft leaves the runway during take-off or landing.
Such occurrences usually lead to temporary runway closures to allow the aircraft to be recovered, airport infrastructure to be inspected and safety assessments to be completed before flight activities resume.
FAAN is expected to reopen the runway after the recovery operation and all necessary safety checks have been concluded, paving the way for the restoration of normal flight operations at Benin Airport.