An Enugu Air runway overshoot has left an Embraer E170 resting in muddy, grassy terrain after the aircraft veered off the tarmac while landing in Benin on Thursday.
The airline confirmed the incident in a public notice shared through its official channels, stating that the aircraft experienced a runway excursion after landing. Enugu Air said all passengers and crew disembarked safely, adding that there were no injuries or casualties.
News of the Enugu Air runway overshoot had already begun spreading before the airline’s statement, as footage of the stranded jet circulated widely on social media. The clips show the aircraft stationary well off the paved surface, hemmed in by reddish mud with emergency personnel gathered nearby.
Veteran journalist Uche Nworah, who shared details of the development on Facebook, described the aircraft as having overshot the runway rather than suffering a catastrophic crash, a distinction now borne out by the airline’s own account of events.
Further videos shared by aviation commentators on X show bystanders and airport staff in high visibility vests walking around the grounded jet. Notably absent from the footage is any visible fire, major structural damage, or sign of a violent impact, consistent with Enugu Air’s description of a runway excursion rather than a crash.
In its notice, Enugu Air said the aircraft had been secured and that relevant aviation authorities were notified in line with established procedures, with an assessment of the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the occurrence currently under way. The Enugu Air runway overshoot is now expected to be reviewed by aviation investigators as part of the process. The airline did not name authorities involved or give a timeline for the assessment.
Enugu Air also warned that the Enugu Air runway overshoot may lead to temporary adjustments to some schedules, and said passengers affected by any changes would be contacted directly and provided with the necessary assistance. The airline said safety of passengers, crew and operations remained its highest priority.
Some aviation focused users, including pilots who commented on the earlier clips, had pointed to weather as a possible factor in the overrun, though Enugu Air’s statement does not address a cause. Wet or muddy ground beside a runway is frequently cited in Nigerian aviation incidents as contributing factor once an aircraft leaves the paved surface, and the precise cause of this Enugu Air runway overshoot remains unaddressed for now.
Enugu Air, which is owned by the Enugu State Government, began commercial operations in July 2025 with a fleet of Embraer E170 and E190 aircraft. The carrier initially flew under the air operator certificate of XEJet before it was issued its own certificate by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority in March 2026. The young airline has previously featured in incident reports well before this Enugu Air runway overshoot, including a nose landing gear malfunction on a separate aircraft at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in November 2025, an episode from which all passengers and crew were also evacuated without injury.
As of the time of writing, neither the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria nor the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority had issued separate statement confirming the details in Enugu Air’s notice. AfricanQuarters has reached out to Enugu Air for further comment and will update this report as soon as a response is received.
The Enugu Air runway overshoot adds to a string of runway related concerns at Nigerian airports in recent years, with earlier overruns at Port Harcourt and Lagos also linked to poor weather and runway conditions. Passengers travelling on Enugu Air services are advised to monitor the airline’s official communications for updates on any affected flights.
