THE Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) says Max Air remains one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed over a tyre burst incident.
In a statement released by AON and signed by its Vice President and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, the Association said that such an incident can happen to any airline.
He, however, warned against sensational reporting of such incidents.
“Today, an aircraft belonging to Max Air which took off from Yola Airport had a tyre burst on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. No passenger or crew was hurt in the incident as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
“While we thank God Almighty for His protection of all on board that aircraft, we, in AON, decry the penchant for sensational reporting anytime such incident occurs. Tyre bursts occur now and then in the industry and has nothing to do with the airline’s safety standards. Such reports only tend to create unnecessary fears in the minds of the unsuspecting flying public and, as such, counter productive,” the statement said.
“AON states that Max Air is one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed because of this incident. Tyre burst can happen to any airline in the world. We plead with the flying public to be mindful of the consequences of sensationalizing such occurrences in aviation, as it may be used by outsiders to affect the county’s rating.
“All Nigerian airlines are under a very strict oversight by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), hence no room for unsafe practices by any Nigerian airline. This tyre burst incident does not and, will never, detract from Max Air’s well-known safety standards”.
