The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday linked its stoppage of Arik Airline flight from Abuja to Lagos to a technical fault.
It, therefore, asked Nigerians not to entertain any fear over the security of flight operations in the country.
NCAA spokesman, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, said in Abuja that the advice became necessary following an incident yesterday morning involving an Arik Air flight from Abuja to Lagos.
He said the flight was aborted on the runway due to a technical fault, just before take–off at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Adurogboye gave assurance that the NCAA was on top of the situation.
He said the aircraft involved developed a fault as it was about to take-off from Abuja to Lagos.
Adurogboye said it was the duty of NCAA to ensure that the passengers in the plane and other Nigerians “are taken to their destinations safely.’’
“Our engineers are there on ground 24 hours to rectify any fault because safety is paramount to us.
“Passengers are always in a hurry, particularly in Nigeria. If a plane develops a fault it must be certified alright before passengers can be allowed to continue on their journey.
“Everywhere in the world, a plane has to be certified okay before it can be allowed to fly. Therefore, we urge passengers to always be patience when it is necessary,” he said.
One of the passengers on board the Arik plane, who wants to remain anonymous, said that the pilot noticed an electrical fault and taxied back to the terminal building.
“The fault was supposedly fixed, but we are still waiting for the NCAA to certify the plane to fly. They said we may have to go to Lagos in another aircraft,’’ the passenger said.
Also speaking, the Arik Airline head of communication, Mr. Ola Adebanji said the company was trying to get in touch with its engineers in Abuja to know what went wrong.