The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched an investigation after a Triton Aviation aircraft lost a door shortly after take-off from Abuja, forcing the crew to declare a Mayday emergency and return safely to the airport.
• United Nigeria Airlines To Raise N20b Through Commercial Paper
An aircraft operated by Triton Aviation made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, on Thursday after losing a door shortly after take-off, with the missing part later reportedly found by farmers on a nearby farmland.
Meanwhile, United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) is seeking to raise N20 billion through a commercial paper issuance, representing the first tranche under its N100 billion commercial paper programme, as it seeks to strengthen its financial position and expand its domestic, regional and international operations.
The CL60 aircraft, with registration number T7-SEI and flight identification DWC052, was travelling from Abuja to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, when the incident occurred at about 4:20 p.m. local time.
An incident report obtained by The Guardian indicated that the aircraft took off from Runway 22 at 4:17 p.m. UTC and was about three nautical miles from the airport, climbing through 3,000 feet, when the crew declared an emergency by transmitting “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
According to the report, the crew informed air traffic control that a door had opened in flight, prompting the approach radar controller to direct the aircraft back to Abuja for an emergency landing.
Following the distress call, the airport’s fire watch room and medical team were alerted and placed on standby. Fire and emergency personnel were also directed to designated positions at A4 and A5 in preparation for the aircraft’s return.
The report stated that at about 4:29 p.m. UTC, while communicating with the Abuja control tower, the crew asked whether air traffic controllers could confirm if the door was open.
“The duty air traffic controller attempted to observe the aircraft with binoculars but could not establish the door’s condition because of the aircraft’s position. The crew was subsequently informed that the controller could not visually confirm the situation.
“The aircraft landed safely on Runway 22 at approximately 4:34 p.m. UTC, about 14 minutes after the Mayday call. After landing, the duty controller observed that the aircraft’s door was missing from the fuselage.
“The aircraft was subsequently taxied to the international apron extension and parked with the assistance of a marshaller,” the report said.
Meanwhile, a video seen by The Guardian showed farmers displaying what they said was the missing aircraft door, which they reportedly found on their farmland in Abuja.
In the video, a man whose identity could not be independently established said the farmers found the object while returning from their farm.
“This is what we found as we were returning from our farm. It fell from a plane, but we don’t know much about its identity. As I am sending it to you, sir, just check it,” he said.
As at the time of filing this report, the number of passengers on board the aircraft could not be ascertained, while Triton Aviation could not be reached for comments.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, confirmed the incident but said the agency could not comment, adding that the matter fell under the purview of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The NSIB also confirmed the incident. Its media team told The Guardian that the bureau’s management had deployed investigators to the scene and would issue an official statement.
On its fundraising plan, UNA said in its September 2026 investor presentation that the proposed N20 billion commercial paper issuance would be offered in two series, with tenors of 270 days and 364 days.
Meristem Capital Limited is the lead arranger for the transaction, while Cordros Advisory Services Limited, Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, FCMB Capital Markets Limited, FSL Advisory Limited and Quantum Zenith Capital & Investments Limited will serve as dealers.
The planned fundraising comes amid growth in the airline’s financial performance. Its revenue rose from N10.3 billion in 2021 to N90.8 billion in 2025, while profit after tax increased from N1.3 billion to N23.8 billion over the same period.
The airline recorded revenue of N95.6 billion in the first half of 2026.
Its August performance also showed an improvement, with turnover rising to N19.4 billion from N14.1 billion in July, alongside a return to net profit of N1.2 billion.
UNA expressed optimism that its financial performance would continue on an upward trajectory in the remaining months of 2026 and beyond.
Ahead of the planned fundraising, the airline secured ratings from two credit rating agencies.
Agusto & Co. assigned it a short-term rating of A3 and a long-term rating of BBB-, with a stable outlook, while DataPro awarded it short-term and long-term ratings of A1 and BBB, respectively.
The ratings provide an assessment of the airline’s creditworthiness as it seeks to access the capital market to support its expansion plans.
United Nigeria Airlines currently operates a fleet of 10 aircraft comprising Embraer ERJ-145s, Boeing 737-800s, Embraer E190s and CRJ900s. It plans to take delivery of six additional aircraft before the end of the year.
