Abuja-bound Aero Contractors flight makes emergency return to Lagos over 'technical issue'

An Aero Contractors flight travelling from Lagos to Abuja on Saturday morning returned to its departure airport after the crew reported a technical issue while the aircraft was airborne.

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The aircraft, which departed Lagos at about 7:30 a.m., had travelled part of the route mid air before the flight crew decided to discontinue the journey and return to Lagos as a precautionary safety measure.

Passengers were safely evacuated after the aircraft landed, and no injuries were reported.

A passenger aboard the flight told PREMIUM TIMES that the cabin became unusually hot while the aircraft was in the air, causing anxiety among passengers.

According to the passenger, the crew informed those on board that the aircraft had developed a technical problem and would return to Lagos but did not disclose the exact nature of the fault.

“There was a lot of panic because people did not know exactly what had happened. We were only told there was a technical problem and that we had to return to Lagos,” the passenger said.

As of 10:10 a.m., the affected passengers had begun boarding another Aero Contractors aircraft to continue their journey to Abuja, according to one of the passengers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES.

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PREMIUM TIMES contacted Aero Contractors for comments on the incident, including the nature of the reported technical issue, the reason for the aircraft’s return to Lagos and the arrangements made for affected passengers.

However, the airline had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.

Recent incidents

Saturday’s occurrence comes about two months after a Max Air flight from Abuja to Katsina made an emergency return to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after take-off following a reported technical fault.

As previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES, passengers on the May 2026 flight recounted hearing loud banging sounds from the aircraft before it reportedly lost altitude briefly and struggled to stabilise, prompting the pilot to return to Abuja as a safety precaution. The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.

READ ALSO: Benin runway excursion not crash or emergency landing Enugu Air CEO

The Aero Contractors incident also comes amid increased public attention to airline operations following Thursday’s runway excursion involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 at Benin Airport.

Although all 63 passengers and five crew members escaped unhurt, the occurrence disrupted flight operations after the runway was temporarily closed, forcing Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines to suspend flights to and from Benin while aircraft recovery and safety assessments were carried out.

While the circumstances surrounding the Aero Contractors, Max Air and Enugu Air incidents differ, they have renewed attention on operational reliability and safety across Nigeria’s aviation sector.