Enugu Air has formally addressed online reports regarding the airworthiness and history of its Embraer E170 aircraft that experienced a runway excursion at Benin Airport on July 23.

In an official statement released on Saturday, the airline pushed back against circulating claims regarding the aircraft’s prior ownership and operational history, clarifying that the aircraft was fully certified and cleared by regulatory authorities prior to the flight.

Enugu Air confirmed that the jet—operating as Flight 4264 with registration mark 5N-ENR—was flying under a valid Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued and routinely maintained in accordance with the strict regulations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Addressing public speculation, the carrier disclosed that the aircraft underwent a comprehensive airworthiness review and recertification process prior to joining its operational fleet in 2025, during which all mandatory engineering checks and technical inspections were completed.

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The airline emphasised that it remains committed to regulatory compliance and safety protocols, refraining from attributing causes to the landing excursion while formal safety investigations proceed.

“Enugu Air wishes to state clearly that the aircraft was operating under a valid Certificate of Airworthiness issued and maintained in accordance with NCAA requirements at the time of the incident,” the statement read. “The cause of the July 23rd incident remains under active investigation by the relevant authorities, and we will not speculate pending their findings. We urge the public to await verified information from official sources.”

The clarification follows the deployment of a “Go Team” by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to the incident site at Benin Airport, where 63 passengers and five crew members safely disembarked without injuries after the jet overran Runway 05.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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