Bauchi Airport Lighting Fault Disrupts Max Air Flight

A Max Air flight from Abuja to Bauchi on Sunday night was forced to return to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after the pilot aborted landing due to a runway lighting fault at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi.

The aircraft, which departed Abuja on April 19, 2026, reportedly hovered over Bauchi for about 30 minutes as the crew assessed the situation before deciding it was unsafe to land.

Passengers on board said the pilot announced that a fault in the airport’s runway lighting system made visibility inadequate for a safe touchdown.

Prioritising the passengers’ safety, the pilot opted to return to Abuja rather than attempt a risky landing.

One of the passengers who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity confirmed that the aircraft was redirected back to Abuja.

It was also gathered that the flight had experienced an earlier delay, departing Abuja after 5 p.m.

The passenger added that while in Bauchi, the captain informed the passengers that he couldn’t land at Bauchi Airport because of “technical issues”. The flight circled Bauchi town several times, in the hope that “the technical issues” would be resolved.

Finally, he decided to return to Abuja with all the passengers, including those from Bauchi, Gombe and Yola.

LEADERSHIP reports that former minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, was among the passengers on board.