Air Peace: Port Harcourt airport reopens for flight operations

The Port Harcourt International Airport has been reopened for scheduled flight operations.

The airport was shut down on Saturday, following an incident involving an Air Peace flight with registration number 5N BRN, from Abuja to Port Harcourt.

An Air Peace Boeing 737-500 aircraft with about 94 passengers and crew members on board, on Saturday afternoon, skidded off the Port Harcourt International Airport runway upon landing.

The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs Toyin Olajide, had stated that the incident was due to poor weather condition and flooding on the airport’s runway.

“We confirm that Air Peace Flight P47291 Abuja-Port Harcourt had a runway excursion upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport on June 22 due to downpour,” she said.

It was gathered that the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation evacuated the aircraft from the site of the incident on Sunday.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr Tunji Oketunbi, said the agency had commenced an investigation into the incident.

According to him, investigators have concluded site investigation and have moved on to other aspects of the process.

“After the whole exercises, we will do our analysis and come up with a report,” he added.