BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
An Arik Air flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt was forced to make an emergency diversion on Wednesday after the crew heard a loud bang from one of its engines mid-air.
The Boeing 737-700 (5N-MJF), operating flight W3 740, was descending into Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, when the incident occurred.
Acting swiftly, the pilots redirected the aircraft to Benin Airport as a precaution.
All 80 passengers and crew members landed safely, with no injuries reported.
The airline confirmed that affected passengers were disembarked without incident and arrangements were made to transport them to Port Harcourt.
In a statement by its Spokesman, Adebanji Ola, Arik Air apologised for the disruption.
“We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted. The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air,” he said.
The aircraft is expected to undergo checks as part of standard safety procedures.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
