Passengers on board an Arik Air flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt were thrown into moments of anxiety on Wednesday morning after the aircraft developed an engine problem mid-air, forcing an emergency diversion to Benin City.
The airline confirmed that the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with registration number 5N-MJF, operating Flight W3 740, was on descent into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the flight crew heard a loud bang from the left engine.
Following standard safety procedures, the pilots immediately diverted the aircraft to the nearest airport as a precautionary measure. The plane later landed safely at Benin Airport without any further complications.
Arik Air said all 80 passengers and crew members on board disembarked safely, and no injuries were recorded. The airline added that arrangements were made to transport the affected passengers to their original destination in Port Harcourt.
In a statement, the airline’s Public Relations and Communications Manager, Adebanji Ola, apologised for the inconvenience caused by the incident and stressed that passenger safety remains the company’s top priority.
“The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air. We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted,” the statement read.
The airline assured the public that necessary checks would be carried out on the aircraft to determine the cause of the engine issue and prevent similar incidents in the future.
