BREAKING: Max Air incident: NANTA seeks enhanced safety measures in air travels

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has expressed concern over the growing spate of near-fatal incidents in the Nigerian local travel space in recent times.

Mr Yinka Folami, National President of NANTA, in a statement on Friday said that the operational safety of the air travel ecosystem must be prioritised for the sake of the travelling public.

This is following the suspension of Max Air by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Max Air B734 aircraft with registration mark 5N-MBD suffered a tyre burst on landing at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Tuesday night.

This is the third incident in three months involving Max Air airplanes.

Folami appealed to all airline operators and aviation regulatory agencies to come together, settle any perceived differences and address all safety concerns.

He advised that all hands must be activated to restore confidence in air travel across the nation.

The NANTA boss noted that the Nigerian travelling public deserved better than these recent happenings.

“We are concerned about the tail signs of near misses and operational discomforts ongoing in the Nigerian Air Space.

“As much as we commend ongoing investigations to unravel the challenges in the system, we urge all service providers and government agencies to proactively enhance their emergency response systems to ensure the safety and unimpeded journeys of the Nigerian traveling public.

“Some of our customers have called us to express their anxieties and worries, and as major stakeholders in the aviation downstream sector, we cannot pretend that we are not concerned.

“We appeal to airline operators, government agencies, and all aviation players to come together and address differences.

“Nigeria is at a phase where we must work together for collective prosperity. By working together, we can minimise risks and maximise passengers’ protection,” he said.

The NCAA had, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2025, announced that it had commenced organisational risk audit for each airline operating in Nigeria, including Max Air.

This is shortly after the Max airline’s B-734 aircraft with registration mark 5N- MBD suffered a tyre burst on landing.