The aircraft had 105 passengers on board at the time of the incident.
A Boeing 737 aircraft with the flight number 4P7198 belonging to Air Peace burst a tyre on Monday morning at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that the incident happened at around 11:11 am when the aircraft was taxiing to take-off to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) in Abuja.
The aircraft had 105 passengers on board at the time of the incident.
The Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, confirmed the incident to journalists through a press statement. Mr. Iwarah explained that shortly after 11:00 am, passengers had to evacuate the plane for safety concerns.
“Today, our Lagos-Abuja flight aborted take-off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos when the pilot-in-command suspected that there was an issue with one of the tyres of the aircraft. Passengers on board were transferred to another aircraft to ensure they did not miss their appointments.
“The passengers were all calm, as it was not a life-threatening incident. There was no question of air return as our very experienced flight crew noticed the development much before take-off. Because of the premium we place on safety, our pilots are under a duty to call for checks when they suspect any fault, however basic it may be. That was what happened in this case,” Mr. Iwarah stated.
He said that the incident was initially suspected to be a case of a burst tyre, but the airline’s engineering department later inspected the aircraft and confirmed that one of the tyres was deflated.
However, SaharaReporters insisted that the incident was a burst tyre, as one of the passengers on board revealed to our correspondent that he heard a loud noise when the tyre burst.
Mr. Iwarah assured its loyal customers, air travellers and the general public that it would continue to prioritize their comfort and safety as it has done since the commencement of its flight operations.
