Abuja airport runway incident caused brief disruption after a private jet’s tyre burst, though operations quickly resumed

Abuja airport runway incident caused a brief pause in flight operations on Thursday after a private jet belonging to Oranto Oil suffered a tyre burst while landing.

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The aircraft, registered 5N-PZE, came to a stop on the runway around 2pm, leading authorities to temporarily close the airfield as safety teams moved in to clear the scene.

Officials later confirmed that the disruption was short-lived. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, said the aircraft had been removed and that normal operations resumed soon afterwards.

He emphasised that the tyre burst did not escalate into a wider emergency and that airport staff responded swiftly to restore order.

Witnesses reported that several incoming flights were placed on hold while outgoing flights experienced delays.

The Abuja airport runway incident revived concerns about the frequency of technical hitches affecting aircraft operations at the capital’s gateway.

This latest interruption comes months after earlier closures linked to maintenance and previous runway blockages.

In November 2023, an Aero Contractors aircraft became stuck off the exit path, forcing another temporary shutdown.

A similar disruption occurred in December 2024 when an Allied Air cargo aircraft skidded off Runway 22 and had to be cleared by emergency teams.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of Thursday’s tyre burst or whether a formal investigation will follow.

Aviation observers say that while tyre bursts are not uncommon, they underscore the need for consistent safety checks and decisive policy updates to prevent repeated runway closures.

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The Abuja airport runway incident highlights the importance of rapid response teams, which in this case acted with impressive precision to minimise delays.