Max Air confirmed that one of its flights from Abuja to Katsina made an emergency return shortly after takeoff following an engine-related problem. The airline said Flight VM1620 departed on Monday, May 11, 2026, before returning about 15 minutes later after the crew of aircraft 5N-DAB, a Boeing 737-300, noticed an indication of engine malfunction.
Some passengers on board described the incident as frightening, while videos of the situation later went viral on social media. One passenger said strange sounds were heard a few minutes after takeoff, forcing the pilot to return to Abuja. The passenger added that many dignitaries were on board, including the son of the airline’s founder, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.
“We thank God for landing safely. It wasn’t a funny experience. We thought the aircraft was going to drop,” the passenger said. However, the airline maintained that the pilots acted professionally and followed standard aviation safety procedures by returning the aircraft immediately after noticing the problem.
According to Max Air, the aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew members disembarked without injury. The airline also arranged another aircraft, identified as 5N-DMK, from Kano to continue the Abuja–Katsina route and other scheduled flights.
The airline said its technical team had started a full assessment of the aircraft in line with safety regulations. It also stated that it was in contact with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and would cooperate with any investigation. As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau had not released any statement on the incident.