Ethiopian Airlines Speaks On Plane That Almost Crashed With Obasanjo, Others

Ethiopian Airlines on Wednesday confirmed that one of its flights, “ET901/29” and Boing 777-300 made an aborted landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Naija News reports that the General Manager of the Nigerian operations of the airline, Mrs Firiheiwot Mekonnen, blamed the incident on bad weather.

Mekonnen said the aircraft, carrying 393 passengers and the former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, was flying from Addis Ababa to Lagos when it encountered some complications as a result of bad weather; a development that forced it to almost a premature landing.

She said the aircraft had to make a go-around-at the airport for a better and smooth landing, in line with aviation procedure.

“On a second attempt, it made a safe and normal landing. According to safety standards, pilots are encouraged to make a similar go-around in such cases.

“However, some media incorrectly reported this standard safety precautionary go-around,” Mekonnen said.

The General Manager, Public Relations of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, also confirmed the incident, saying, however, that the aircraft did not overshoot the runway.

“Ethiopian Airlines came into Lagos at a time it was raining and reduced visibility, hence it had to go back and hovered for a while.

“Finally, it came back and landed safely,” he said.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he was calm while on board an Ethiopian Airline flight that nearly crashed on Wednesday, May 29 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city.