Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has assured passengers and the general public that safety remains the foremost priority of the state-owned Enugu Air following a runway incident involving one of its aircraft at Benin Airport.
The incident occurred on Thursday, July 23, 2026, when an Embraer E170 operating Flight 4264 from Lagos to Benin was involved in a runway incursion.
In a statement issued on Friday, Mbah expressed sympathy to the 63 passengers and five crew members on board, thanking God that no fatalities or injuries had been reported.
“We empathise with the 63 passengers and five crew members who went through this traumatic experience and are grateful that no life was lost and no injuries have so far been reported,” the governor said.
He commended the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau for commencing an investigation into the incident and pledged the full cooperation of Enugu Air with the bureau and other relevant aviation regulatory authorities.
Mbah said the airline was established with a strong safety culture, noting that decisions concerning its operations would always place the protection of passengers ahead of commercial considerations.
“The airline is founded on a corporate culture that puts safety above profit and schedule, with quality assurance and quality control systems that set a safety threshold significantly higher than the industry benchmark,” he stated.
The governor assured the public that Enugu Air would continue to operate in accordance with international aviation safety standards while maintaining its commitment to professionalism and quality service.
He also expressed appreciation to Nigerians for the support and confidence they had shown in the airline since its launch, saying the positive feedback from passengers and industry stakeholders was encouraging at a difficult time.
The NSIB is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the runway incident and make recommendations to help prevent a recurrence.
