No fewer than 11 passengers and crew members miraculously escaped unhurt on Sunday morning after a private jet operated by Flybird Airlines crash-landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State. The aircraft, which departed from Abuja, encountered difficulties and made an emergency landing at approximately 9:30 a.m. while attempting to land at the airport. All 11 occupants, including three crew members, were safely evacuated from the jet, with no injuries or fatalities reported, despite what eyewitnesses described as tense moments.

Following the incident, emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the scene. Airport authorities swiftly secured the affected area to prevent further risks and commenced preliminary safety procedures. Investigations are expected to be carried out to determine the precise cause of the incident. As of press time, aviation officials, including the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), had not yet issued an official statement, though unofficial sources indicated that the passengers were taken to an undisclosed location.

This incident adds to a series of aviation occurrences, although thankfully without the tragic outcomes of some past events. For instance, on Thursday, May 23, 2025, two individuals sustained serious injuries when a training aircraft crash-landed at Ilorin International Airport. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) reported that this incident occurred at 17:28 local time during a simulated instrument approach on Runway 05, with the aircraft veering off the runway onto a grass verge. The NSIB dispatched a Go-Team to Ilorin to conduct on-site investigations, collecting physical evidence, interviewing witnesses, and retrieving operational data to determine the cause and contributing factors.

Historically, Kano Airport has witnessed severe incidents, including the tragic EAS Airline crash in May 2002. On that occasion, an aircraft departing from Aminu Kano International Airport developed engine problems shortly after takeoff and crashed into a residential area, resulting in the loss of at least 73 lives on the ground. The recent Flybird Airlines incident, despite being a crash-landing, stands as a testament to improved emergency response and safety protocols, ensuring all on board were saved.