The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has alerted passengers to flight delays at Port Harcourt International Airport, following the runway incursion by Air Peace Airline.

FAAN, in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Onah, disclosed that Air Peace flight P47190, with registration number 5N-BQQ, departed from Lagos (LOS) and landed at Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) at approximately 0745 hours and overshot runway 03 upon landing.

The statement said: “We are relieved to report that there were no casualties. Evacuation of the 127 passengers has been completed safely with no casualties.”

In the interim, FAAN urged passengers to plan for flight delays for any departing flights to Port Harcourt. In the meantime, the Nigeria Safety Bureau (NSIB) has launched investigations into the incident. An official of the bureau, who spoke anonymously, said: “Our team are on the ground in Port Harcourt. An update will be released soon.”

The airline was also urged to intensify its pilot re-training programmes to enhance pilot vigilance and deployment of more professional expertise during landing, especially on rainy days, resulting in wet and slippery runways to minimise the risk of future runway incursion incidents. 
 
Reacting to the development, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) said, while it was necessary to join Air Peace, the aviation industry, Nigerians, and the global community in thanking God for the safety of passengers and crew members on board

Air Peace Flight P47190, there is the need to intensify the retraining programmes to enhance pilots’ vigilance.