The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has notified the public and all aviation stakeholders that Runway 18L/36R is now reopened for flight operations at 19:58hrs on Tuesday.
It stated that the reopening of the runway followed its earlier closure due to an incident involving a Dana Air aircraft, with registration number 5N-BKI, which overshot the runway during its landing sequence.
The agency’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, confirmed that prompt actions were taken by the emergency response team to evacuate and recover the aircraft from the site.
According to her, subsequently, comprehensive clearing operations were conducted to ensure the runway was free of any Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that could impede flight safety.
She clarified: “The FAAN Operations division and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have jointly conducted a thorough inspection of the runway surface and deemed it safe for the resumption of operations. An appropriate Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued in this regard.
“We acknowledge the area affected by the overshoot was significantly muddy. A concerted effort was made for the thorough and efficient cleaning of the area to facilitate the swift resumption of operations on Runway 18L/36R”, the Director added.
She expressed the agency management’s gratitude to the traveling public, airline partners, and all stakeholders for their patience, understanding, and cooperation during the temporary closure of the runway and apologized for any inconvenience the incident may have caused them
While stressing that ensuring the safety and security of passengers, staff, and airport operations remains its top priority, Orah restated its commitment to providing safe, secure, and efficient air transport environment for all users of the nation’s airports.
