The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered the immediate grounding of Rano Air’s aircraft with registration number 5N-BZY following an engine malfunction during a flight, News360 Nigeria reports.

According to the NCAA, the decision reflects its commitment to enforcing strict safety protocols for all commercial carriers operating within Nigerian airspace.

The incident occurred when engine 1 of the aircraft developed a fault mid-flight, resulting in smoke filling the cabin and cockpit. In line with standard safety procedures, the flight crew promptly wore oxygen masks and initiated emergency protocols to ensure passenger and crew safety.

Thankfully, the smoke cleared before landing, and the aircraft touched down safely without further complications, guided by the professionalism of the captain.

However, the NCAA’s Directorate of Airworthiness instructed that aircraft 5N-BZY must remain grounded pending full safety investigations. Engineers are currently examining the aircraft on the ground to determine the root cause of the engine issue and smoke.

The incident caused disruptions in passenger movement, particularly affecting travelers scheduled to depart from Sokoto to another destination.

A rescue aircraft had already boarded Abuja–Katsina passengers, making it logistically impossible to reroute to Sokoto without serious delay.

Therefore, the Sokoto leg of the operation was cancelled to avoid displacing already-boarded passengers and disrupting flight safety schedules.

Meanwhile, NCAA reiterated that it will not compromise on aviation safety protocol compliance, even when disruptions inconvenience flight operations.

The Authority stated that Nigerian aviation’s safety record remains solid, despite the challenges of operating in a developing environment.

According to NCAA, countries with more advanced aviation infrastructure still report more severe incidents than Nigeria experiences.

This, the Authority emphasized, is because in Nigeria, flights are cancelled at the slightest indication of a safety-related concern.

It added that its current actions align with global best practices and international regulatory benchmarks in civil aviation oversight.

The NCAA has promised to release further updates on the incident once investigations into aircraft 5N-BZY are concluded.

Passengers affected by the cancellation are expected to be accommodated in line with Rano Air’s obligations under consumer protection laws.