Allaying fears over Ethiopian Airlines crash, aviation minister says no Boeing 737 Max aircraft in Nigeria

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft which killed all passengers on board, has sparked a lot of controversy and concern worldwide.

The crash, which is the second fatal crash of the said aircraft in less than five months, led to different countries banning its use.

The Nigeria Government has, however, assured that Boeing 737 Max aircraft are not in Nigeria’s aviation register.

The Minister of State for Aviation Senator, Hadi Sirika, stated this in a statement on Tuesday, against the backdrop of the unfortunate crash of the Ethiopian airline on Sunday, which killed the 157 people on board.

The minister while acknowledging that any accident anywhere is a tragedy to the global aviation industry, said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has issued the necessary advisory as it relates to the country.

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He added, “As we continue to mourn the ET crash in Addis, and pray for the victims, we wish to reassure Nigerians that we do not have any Boeing 737 Max on Nigeria’s register to worry about.”

Sirika asked the Nigerian flying public not to entertain any fears, assuring them “of unflinching commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration to creating an environment that guarantees their safety and security in air transportation”.

Two Nigerians, an academic and popular columnist, Pius Adesanmi, and a retired ambassador on contract with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Abiodun Bashua, were among the 149 passengers on board the plane.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed about six minutes after take-off from the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, en route the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Recall that vanguard reported that at least nationals of about 35 countries were involved in the disaster.

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