A Max Air flight bound for Abuja was forced to make an emergency landing at Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Maiduguri on Wednesday after one of its engines was damaged by a suspected bird strike.
The incident occurred just 10 minutes after the plane took off from the airport.
Over 100 passengers, including Borno State Deputy Governor Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, were onboard the aircraft at the time of the incident. Fortunately, the plane was able to safely return to the airport and land without any reported injuries.
According to an airline official who wished to remain anonymous, the bird strike caused severe damage to one of the aircraft’s engines. The airline deployed engineers from Kano to assess and repair the damaged aircraft. In the meantime, Max Air arranged for another plane to be sent from Lagos to transport the passengers to their intended destination in Abuja.
When contacted for comment, the Manager of Max Air in Maiduguri, Mr. Musa Bawuro, confirmed that he was aware of the incident but could not provide further details until he received a full report from the flight’s captain.