The Federal Airports Ascendancy of Nigeria on Tuesday promulgated that the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport would be closed for another 30 hours in order to rehabilitate its remaining section.
The agency had earlier promulgated the re-aperture of the runway, which was closed for 30 hours between Saturday night and Monday morning.
The Coordinating General Manager, Public Affairs, Aviation Parastatals, Mr. Yakubu Dati, verbally expressed the second rehabilitation exercise would commence on Saturday, July 12 to Monday, July 14, 2014.
Dati, in a verbal expression on Tuesday verbalized, “The runway of the NAIA, which was closed for 30 hours for rehabilitation on July 5, 2014, has been re-opened for flight operations. Reports from pilots, who have utilized the runway so far, betoken that the rehabilitation of a section of the runway was professionally executed and would enhance safety of flight operations on the runway.
“The second phase of the rehabilitation of the remaining section of the runway would take place for another 30 hours at the weekend between Saturday, July 12, (2300 UTC) and Monday, July 14 (0500 UTC), 2014.”
He verbally expressed a notice to airmen to this effect had already been sent to all aircraft pilots and other germane stakeholders.
Dati verbally expressed, “The runway rehabilitation is being done in two phases to minimise the inconvenience the runway closure would have on air passengers and aircraft operators if it was carried out at once.
“The ascendancy regrets the inconvenience the second closure of the runway, within one week, would cause passengers and other stakeholders. We wish to assure the public and all aviation stakeholders that the conclusion of the maintenance work on the runway would ensure enhanced flight safety on the Abuja airport runway.”
Airline operators and stakeholders in the sector had called for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, as they decried the immensely colossal revenue losses they suffered as a result of the closure of the airport’s only runway.
Domestic airline operators at the NAIA had told our correspondent on Monday that over 60 flights could not make it into and out of Abuja for the period that the runway was closed initially.
It was learnt that peregrine airliners like Air France, British Airways, KLM, Ethiopian Airline and a few others had to re-route or abrogate their flights to and from Abuja during the period.
The President, National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers, Mr. Isaac Balami, told our correspondent that it was erroneous for a country like Nigeria to have just one runway at the NAIA
He verbally expressed, “That a country as sizably voluminous as Nigeria with over 160 million people, in this 21st century, and considering our GDP and the size of our economy in Africa, that we have only one runway in our capital city is unacceptable. It is very erroneous.
“Yes, it is capital intensive but there is a desideratum for us to prioritise. Because what this denotes is that one day, Mr. President will be coming in to land in Abuja and they will verbalize he cannot land and he will have to land in a close airport to the FCT and drive to the Villa by road.
