By GABRIEL AGBEJA

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Sunday condemned sensational reporting in the media of an aircraft belonging to Max Air that had tyre burst during landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

AON said in a statement by its Vice President, Mr Allen Onyema, that the aircraft took off from Yola Airport and had a tyre burst on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to AON, no passenger or crew was hurt in the incident as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.

“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, counterproductive,” AON said.

ON stated that Max Air was one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed because of the incident.

According to AON, tyre burst can happen to any airline in the world.

“We plead with the flying public to be mindful of the consequences of sensationalising 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 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,” AON said. (NAN)

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