A major air disaster was averted on Thursday after Nigerian carrier, Air Peace Lagos-Owerri Flight 7252 returned to base shortly after take-off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos due to a change in cabin pressure.

Mr Chris Iwarah, Corporate Communications Manager, Air Peace, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an airline is said to ‘return to base’ (where it took off) when there is a noticeable fault during flight.

Iwarah said: “We confirm that Air Peace Lagos-Owerri Flight 7252 on Thursday returned to base after our crew observed that there was a change in cabin pressure.

“In line with our standard operating procedure, the captain-in-command descended to a level where it would be comfortable for our valued guests, before making a return to base in line with global best practices in the aviation industry.”

According to him, upon safely landing in Lagos, the passengers on board, who had remained calm, were quickly transferred to an alternative aircraft and flown to Owerri.

He added that the airline regrets the inconvenience and discomfort caused its guests on board the flight.

Iwarah said: “We wish to assure members of the public that the incident had nothing whatsoever to do with the engines of the aircraft nor was it a life-threatening situation.

“The aircraft has since been thoroughly checked and confirmed serviceable. The aircraft went back into operations in less than an hour after going for maintenance checks.

“Air Peace is renowned for its quality maintenance reputation and we assure members of the flying public that we will continue to sustain the high standards of our flight operations and professionalism to guarantee the safety of our valued guests and crew.”

Update news