A Qatar Airways plane, on Friday, made an emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following technical issues while airborne.
The airline, in a statement, said its flight QR 1406, operating from Lagos to Doha, “made an unplanned return to Lagos due to a technical issue that occurred in flight”.
“The cockpit crew followed established procedures and landed the aircraft safely,” the company said.
Also confirming the development, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) disclosed that the aircraft, which was fully laden with 248 passengers and 12 crew members, developed a technical fault while flying within Nigerian airspace, prompting an emergency landing in Lagos.
In a statement signed by Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of LASEMA, the agency said its response teams were immediately deployed from the command and control centre in Ikeja, after receiving distress alerts via its 767/112 toll-free emergency lines.
“Upon arrival of LRT at the incident scene, it was discovered that a passenger aircraft was distressed and had conducted a forced landing at the aforementioned location,” the statement reads.
“Preliminary investigations conducted by the Agency’s Response Teams revealed the immediate cause of the incident was due to technical issues suffered by the distressed aircraft.
“The pilot executed a safe landing on the runway at Muritala Mohammed International Airport with LASEMA Response Team and other emergency responders standing-by on extreme high alert on the runway.”
LASEMA said the response involved coordinated efforts among multiple emergency agencies to ensure a safe and orderly operation.
According to the statement, responders at the scene included LASEMA response teams, LASAMBUS, the Lagos State fire and rescue service, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The agency said after safety checks by the pilot and engineering crew, the aircraft was moved to the apron for detailed inspection and necessary repairs.
“All passengers of the distressed aeroplane were evacuated safely; no injuries reported. No loss of lives nor injuries sustained by anyone due to the operation,” the statement added.
Speaking about the incident in a post on X on Saturday, Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the aircraft did not experience any runway incursion or excursion, and ‘there was no crash landing”.
Achimugu added that the majority of passengers have since departed, while a few others were accommodated in hotels and are being rebooked on alternative flights.
