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FAAN notifies airlines, passengers, others of Abuja airport closure
*Aerodrome closes midnight of March 7, 2017
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has notified all airline operators, passengers, airport users and the general public that the Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the temporary closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to enable the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria carry out a major rehabilitation of the runway at the airport.
According to the Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, the closure, which will take effect from the midnight of March 7, will be for a period of six weeks, after which the airport will be re-opened to operations again.
He stated further that due to the temporary closure, Kaduna International Airport will serve as the alternate from 8th March, till the completion of the rehabilitation.
The FAAN boss said normal operations would re-commence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on the April 19th 2017.
Noting that the Authority has put in place necessary facilities that will ensure the safety and security of all airport users and seamless facilitation at the Kaduna International Airport, he appealed to all stakeholders to bear with the Authority as we continue to upgrade our facilities in compliance with NCAA and ICAO Annexes, which bothers on security and safety at the airports.
Meanwhile, some domestic carriers have estimated that they would lose huge resources during the closure but gave support to the closure for safety reasons.
Some of the airlines said that they would reduce their flights to the alternate airport, which is Kaduna because not many passengers travelling to Abuja would like to land in Kaduna.
But the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika Hadi Sirika said that the country would rather lose money than lose lives; a reason that propelled them to come to a painful conclusion to shut the facility for six weeks to allow for a total rehabilitation of the bad Abuja airport runway.
According to the minister, the stakeholders’ forum afforded him the opportunity to officially inform the sector’s players of the decision.
He said government is aware of the likely high level of discomfort and inconvenience the proposed closure of the airport would cause air transport passengers, airline operators and other service providers.
Sirika explained that the decision was informed by safety and security concerns.
The planned closure of the Abuja airport could also provide business diversification for helicopter operators. Many helicopters are lying fallow following the lull in the oil and gas industry. For the high end customers, law makers and stupendously wealthy Nigerians who are security conscious, helicopter services are now there’s to patronise.
