An Arik Air Boeing 737-700 operating a domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt was diverted to Benin City on Wednesday after the crew reported hearing a loud noise from one of the aircraft’s engines, the airline said.
In a statement, Arik Air said the aircraft, registered 5N-MJF and operating flight W3-740, was descending into Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa when the incident occurred.
According to the airline, the crew heard a “loud bang from the left engine” during descent and, as a precautionary measure, decided to divert the flight to Benin Airport in Edo State.
The airline said there were no injuries among the 80 passengers and crew on board. All passengers were safely disembarked after landing in Benin, and arrangements were made to transport them to their final destination in Port Harcourt.
“We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted. The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air,” the statement said.
There was no immediate indication of the cause of the reported engine noise. Further details were not immediately available.
