FG to reconstruct abandoned Lagos airport taxi-way

• Project to be delivered Feb. 2021- Sirika

The Federal Government in its effort to keep focusing on safety critical element in and around airports in the country has begun reconstruction of an abandoned Taxiway Bravo (Taxiway B) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika who was in Lagos to inspect the commencement of works on the taxiway B confirmed through his twitter handle: @hadisirika, that reconstruction has commenced in earnest.

“Work has commenced at Lagos taxiway B (known Central Taxiway b), abandoned for 11 years. It is a safety & efficiency matter, set to deliver it Feb ’21,” he wrote.

A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars,terminals and other facilities.

They mostly have a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller general aviation airports sometimes use gravel or grass.

Most airports do not have a specific speed limit for taxiing (though some do). There is a general rule on safe speed based on obstacles. Operators and aircraft manufacturers might have limits. Typical taxi speeds are 20–30 knots (37–56 km/h; 23–35 mph).

According to the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Captain Rabiu Yadudu who was also available during the inspection said the Taxiway B after completion, will boost ‘operational optimization of the existing runway at the international wing of the airport’.

“It means that the airport can handle more planes now and the runway can serve as a safety item, because aircraft can be separated on the ground and have more room for maneuvering in and out. It can also be used in time of emergency,” said Capt. Yadudu.

“It is a safety critical item that has been missing at the Lagos airport and many of the pilots have been complaining. It is focus of the minister to get it done and delivered on or before February 2021 and it is a landmark effort by the minister.”

A source who is aware of the project when it was first conceived said the project was abandoned by the House of Representative members then after an investigation.

“House of Representatives members at the time began an investigation, ‘throwing the baby with the bathwater’ and the project was abandoned for about 11 years. It is a very critical safety element at the Lagos airport and it a good thing that the Minister is embarking on the project.”

Wole Shadare