Air Sierra Leone Suspends Flights For One Week as Plane Develops Technical Issues

Sierra Leone’s Flag carrier, Air Sierra Leone has reportedly suspended flights on its Lagos-Freetown route since Friday, June 20, due to technical issues affecting its aircraft.

The airline, which typically operates flights to Lagos on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, has no available bookings for the route this week, according to checks by Sierraloaded.

Although the carrier has not issued an official statement, investigations suggest the suspension is linked to urgent maintenance required for its Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft (tail number 5N-BZZ).

The plane, recently repainted in Sierra Leone’s national colors of blue, green, and white, began service on the Freetown-Lagos route on January 22, 2025. However, its operational history has raised concerns.

Previously operated by Nigeria’s XE Jet, the same aircraft was involved in a runway incident on May 11, 2024 when it veered off during heavy rains while landing at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. While no injuries were reported among the 49 passengers and three crew members, the incident cast doubt on its maintenance record.

More recently, on May 5, 2025, the aircraft made an emergency return to Lagos shortly after takeoff due to a technical issue. Passengers were safely evacuated as a precaution, though an inspection later revealed the return was triggered by a false cockpit alert, with no actual mechanical fault detected.

Air Sierra Leone assured at the time that passenger safety was not compromised and that standard procedures were followed. The aircraft was cleared and resumed operations later that day.

The latest suspension raises further questions about the plane’s reliability.