Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reopened the runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, which it shut, yesterday, following the skidding off of Allied Air Cargo Aircraft from the runway.
The runway was shut down around 10:06 a.m. to enable the Airport Emergency response team to clear the debris on the runway.
FAAN on its X handle said: “The Runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja has been reopened for flight operations.”
FAAN had shut the runway as the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) commenced an investigation into the incident involving a Boeing 737-400 (Cargo) aircraft with registration and nationality marks, 5N-JRT, operated by Allied Air.
A statement signed by NSIB Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, noted that the incident occurred about 10:06 a.m., yesterday.
According to the statement, the aircraft, operating as flight AJK206 from Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, skidded off Runway 22 into the grass verge after landing, saying there no fatalities or injuries to the crew or ground personnel have been reported.
The aircraft was said to have been significantly damaged as emergency response teams were promptly deployed to the scene to ensure the safety of all personnel and to secure the site.
The statement reads: “The NSIB has initiated an investigation to determine the causal and contributory factors that led to this incident. Our Go Team has been dispatched to the site to conduct an on-site assessment, recover relevant data and interview involved parties. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”
Earlier, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, of FAAN had said the airport emergency response team was on the scene along with accident investigators, as the runway was being cleared for operations as soon as possible.
While the shutdown lasted, Air Peace reached out to its customers through its X handle, ©flyairpeace, saying: “We wish to inform our valued passengers that the ongoing delays affecting both inbound and outbound flights at Abuja airport are due to the temporary closure of the runway.
“This closure follows an incident involving an aircraft from another airline that skidded off the runway. Consequently, a few flights across our network are experiencing delays as we await clearance for the runway to reopen. We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause and sincerely apologise for the disruption to your travel plans.
Similarly, United Airlines, wrote: “At United Nigeria Airlines, your safety is our utmost priority. We are actively collaborating with airport authorities to ensure the runway is cleared promptly and operations resume safely.”
MEANWHILE, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has commissioned Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) Flight Data Centre (FDC).
The minister, during the commissioning, explained that the centre would improve flight tracking patterns, human efforts, and mechanical data, and offer advice on how to improve the sector and better regulate it.
While saying that the facility fulfilled one of their five points agenda, which bordered on safety improvement in the aviation sector, he said the ministry was concentrating on improving safety within the sector and rating by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
In his remarks at the event, the Acting Director-General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, explained that Annex 19 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation mandated all states to establish safety data collection and processing systems (SDCPS) to capture, store, aggregate, and enable the analysis of safety data and safety information, describing it as a hallmark of an effective State Safety Programme (SSP).
Najomo also said the NCAA went into collaboration with APS Aerospace Corporation because it possesses more than 100 years of combined experience in Flight Data and Cockpit/ATC Audio Analysis.
