The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed that the pilot of a private aircraft that landed on a road in Delta State mistakenly identified a nearby construction site as the runway at Asaba Airport, ruling out any mechanical fault as the cause of the incident.
The aircraft, bearing registration number N989BC, had been cleared by air traffic controllers to land at Asaba International Airport but instead touched down on a road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State.
Speaking during a television interview, Keyamo explained that the airport’s control tower lost visual contact with the aircraft shortly after granting landing clearance. When officials contacted the pilots, they reported that they had already landed, prompting confusion because the aircraft was not visible anywhere on the airport’s runway or apron.
According to the minister, the pilots informed air traffic controllers that they had landed on what they believed to be the runway. It was later discovered that the aircraft had actually landed on a nearby construction road, which closely resembled an airport runway from the air.
Keyamo said the aircraft successfully dropped off its passengers before taking off again and continuing its journey to Lagos, an indication that there was no mechanical malfunction affecting the aircraft.
He stressed that the incident has now moved beyond a routine aviation investigation and is being treated as a national security matter.
The minister disclosed that the case has been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), which is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unusual landing.
According to him, security agencies are expected to submit their findings to President Bola Tinubu because of the potential security implications associated with the incident.
Keyamo noted that the investigation will determine whether there were any security breaches or other factors that contributed to the pilot’s decision to land on the construction road instead of the designated airport runway.
Meanwhile, the aviation minister also addressed concerns raised by the International Air Transport Association regarding the high operating costs faced by airlines in Nigeria.
He acknowledged complaints that multiple taxes, levies and charges continue to make Nigeria one of the more expensive environments for airline operations.
To address the issue, Keyamo announced that President Tinubu plans to establish a joint committee comprising officials from the aviation, finance and tax sectors, alongside representatives of the Airline Operators of Nigeria.
The committee is expected to review the country’s aviation charges and recommend measures aimed at reducing operational costs while improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
