Dana Air has explained why its Pilot-In-Command stopped the take-off of the scheduled Port Harcourt-Lagos flight on Monday.
The company stated that the pilot sighted an anomaly in the aircraft and decided to take the precautionary step in line with its in-house and industry safety standard.
Mr. Kingsley Ezenwa, the Communication Manager, Dana Air ,who conveyed this in a statement,said that the aircraft with the registration number 5N JOY operating flight 9J 344 from Port Harcourt to Lagos Monday was set to take-off when the pilot in command noticed the anomaly.
He hinted that the anomaly led to the pilot querying the Air Traffic Control (ATC) before embarking on a ramp return in line with its strict safety operating procedures
Ezenwa, however, said that the impact on the brakes as a result of the aborted take-off affected the aircraft tyres, which sparked off while the aircraft was taxiing to re-park
According to him,all 50 passengers onboard the aircraft disembarked safely, while its maintenance team immediately grounded the aircraft pending the conclusion of their investigations.
He added: ”Once again, we sincerely apologize to all the passengers on the flight for the inconveniences caused due to the eventual cancellation of the flight.
”At Dana Air, the safety of our passengers and crew will remain a top priority in all aspect of our operations and we will continue to operate in accordance with the civil aviation regulations and global best practices.”