by Ola Williams-
KANO, NIGERIA – Passengers aboard a Max Air Boeing 737 experienced a terrifying moment on Tuesday night when the aircraft suffered a tyre burst upon landing at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
The incident occurred at 10:57 PM as Flight VM1605, arriving from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport, touched down. Despite the frightening landing, all 53 passengers were safely evacuated without injury.
“We felt a heavy jolt as we landed, and then there was this loud noise,” said Abdulrahman Yusuf, one of the passengers. “For a moment, I thought it was the end.”
Preliminary investigations suggest the aircraft, registered as 5N-MBD, lost its nose landing gear tyre upon landing. This is not the first time Max Air has faced such issues.
Aviation analysts note that the same aircraft suffered multiple tyre bursts at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in May 2023. Similarly, in July 2024, another Max Air Boeing 737 experienced a tyre burst during takeoff at Yola Airport.
“These repeated incidents are alarming,” said aviation expert John Akande. “It raises serious concerns about the airline’s maintenance culture.”
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has previously conducted audits on Max Air following similar occurrences. The audits uncovered multiple safety and maintenance violations, yet the airline has continued operations.
As of Wednesday morning, Max Air has not released an official statement regarding the latest incident.“We need answers,” said another passenger, Aisha Suleiman. “This isn’t the first time, and it’s scary to think it might happen again.”
Passengers and aviation stakeholders are calling for stricter regulatory enforcement to prevent future mishaps. In the meantime, authorities are investigating the incident to determine its exact cause.
