Nigerian airline Max Air has temporarily suspended a part of its flight operations due to scheduled aircraft maintenance.
The airline based at Kano International Airport (KAN), offering domestic and international services, has announced disruptions to its January flight schedule. In an official statement, the carrier indicated that “some routes may experience adjustments or cancellations” between January 4 and January 8, 2025.
“We wish to inform you about temporary disruptions to our flight operations as we carry out scheduled maintenance on our aircraft. This necessary maintenance ensures we continue delivering safe, reliable, and efficient services to you,” the statement reads.
“However, we assure that by 9th January 2025, all schedules will return to their normal timing”, the carrier concluded.
Max Air operates a diverse fleet comprising five Boeing 737-300s, one Boeing 737-400, two Boeing 747-400 wide-body aircraft, a single Boeing 777-200, and an Embraer ERJ-135BJ, according to the Planespotters.net registry.
However, Ch-aviation.com data reveals that only two aircraft remain active at the moment: one Boeing 737-400 and the Embraer ERJ-135NJ configured for VIP operations. The rest of the fleet, including three Boeing 737-300 narrow-body aircraft, two Boeing 747-400s, and the sole Boeing 777-200, are currently in storage. In the meantime, two Boeing 737-300s are undergoing repairs in Yola (YOL), Nigeria.
Most recently, on December 4, 2024, a Max Air Boeing 737, registered as 5N-BBM, encountered an engine fire while operating domestic flight VM-1623 from Maiduguri (MIU) to Lagos (LOS). The incident occurred during the initial climb when the 27.8-year-old aircraft suffered a bird strike, resulting in a compressor stall of one of its CFM56 engines. Fortunately, the flight crew safely landed the plane in MIU, with no further incidents reported.