Air Peace suspended Benin operations as runway closures disrupted flight services

Air Peace has announced the temporary suspension of all flight operations to and from Benin Airport following the closure of the airport runway after an aircraft was involved in runway enroute.

The airline said the disruption, which affected its scheduled services on Thursday, was beyond its control and asked for passengers’ understanding as airport authorities work to reopen the facility.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Air Peace attributed the suspension to the temporary closure of the runway caused by a runway violation.

“Air Peace would like to inform its valued customers and the general public that all flights to and from Benin Airport have been temporarily suspended today following the closure of the airport runway due to a runway violation.

Also read: Enugu Air ensures safe evacuation after plane deviated from Benin Airport runway

“This temporary suspension and cancellation of affected flights is necessary due to circumstances beyond the airline’s control. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by this disruption and ask all affected passengers for their patience and understanding as the relevant airport authorities work to restore normal operations.”

The closure follows an incident involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 aircraft operating Flight 4264 from Lagos to Benin, which overshot the end of Runway 05 after landing on Thursday.

The plane reportedly went off the runway and was described by aviation authorities as a runway excursion.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Security Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances that led to the incident.

The bureau confirmed that all 63 passengers and five crew members of the Enugu Air flight had been evacuated safely and that no injuries or fatalities had been recorded.

It was also revealed that a preliminary investigation report will be released within 30 days in line with aviation safety regulations.

The runway closure has disrupted the flight schedules of airlines operating to Benin Airport, with Air Peace becoming the first airline to officially suspend operations pending the restoration of normal airport activities.