Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has said that sensational and exaggerated reporting of incidences involving aircrafts is not a healthy development as it can set the minds of the flying public on panic mode.
AON stated this on Sunday while reacting to the incident of tyre burst, involving a Max Air flight from Yola to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement released by AON and signed by its Vice President and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, the Association said that such incident can happen to any airline.
He said- “Today, an aircraft belonging to Max Air which took off from Yola Airport had a tyre burst on landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. No passenger or crew was hurt in the incident as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
“While 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, counter productive,” the statement said.
The body also said that Max Air is a safe with good safety record and therefore should not be ridiculed because of this incident.
“AON states that Max Air is one of the safest airlines in the world and should not be ridiculed because of this incident. Tyre burst can happen to any airline in the world. We plead with the flying public to be mindful of the consequences of sensationalizing 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 Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (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”.
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