Thieves gain access to an Eznis Airways plane after a security breach at Lagos airport.
A Boeing 737-73V with the registration number EI-ULN belonging to Eznis Airways was burgled and its Flight Management System stolen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos’ domestic terminal 2.
From pre-engine start and take-off to landing and engine shutdown, the FMS is a computer that provides virtual data and operational harmony between closed and open elements associated with a flight.
According to a source at the airline, the theft occurred between the late hours of Wednesday 19 and the early hours of Thursday 20, resulting in flight cancellations and delays.
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“The plane was parked on the tarmac at MM2, and someone gained access to the electrical electronic base, which houses all of our systems,” says the pilot. There is a door underneath the aircraft that they opened and gained access to in order to remove the FMC, which is why our operations were hampered that day. We expect the CCTV to be turned on and capture whoever committed the crime, but we haven’t heard anything to that effect. Even though the stolen equipment was small, it was expensive. As of 2021, it cost about $15,000 to repair and about $300,000 to replace.
“Every item in an airplane has a serial number that can be tracked anywhere in the world, so I’m not sure how the thief plans to sell it unless they have a vendor.” That’s why we think it’s internal sabotage,” said the source.
