LAGOS — A Qatar Airways passenger aircraft carrying 248 passengers and 12 crew members made a safe emergency landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Friday after the crew reported a technical fault while the aircraft was airborne in Nigerian airspace, emergency officials said.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said it activated the state’s emergency response plan after receiving distress alerts through its 767/112 toll-free lines, deploying responders to the airport as the aircraft prepared to return.
According to LASEMA’s preliminary report signed by the agency’s permanent secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, emergency units were placed on “extreme high alert” as the pilot executed the landing. LASEMA said no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded, adding that the aircraft did not sustain significant damage.
After touchdown, the aircraft was checked by the cockpit and engineering crews and subsequently moved to the apron for further inspection and repairs, LASEMA said, noting that recovery operations had been completed. Responders on scene included LASEMA, LASAMBUS, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Qatar Airways said the flight—identified by The Nation as QR 1406 operating Lagos–Doha—returned to Lagos due to a technical issue. The airline said passengers disembarked safely and would be rebooked on the next suitable flights.
Nigeria’s aviation regulator also urged the public to avoid sensationalising the incident, saying the aircraft landed safely and that standard safety protocols were followed; it added that most passengers continued their journeys, while some were accommodated and rebooked.
