Managing director and chief executive officer of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Engr. Saleh Dunoma, has assured that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja runway will be ready today.
With this development, work on the runway would have been completed two days before the reopening date of the runway for air traffic.
Assuring the general public of the readiness of the runway, Dunoma said, “We will be ready by Monday, the April 17, but we are leaving the remaining two days for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) because they have to certify that what we have done at the airport is in accordance with their standards. If they do that, we will bring in the traffic. But if they do not, we have the opportunity of making corrections within the two days we have saved”.
On the reopening of the runway on April 19, Dunoma said there was no doubt about that, as the federal government was set to open the airport as scheduled.
His words: “Just as I have said, we have been working with NCAA throughout the period they have been making corrections. But for formality, we need to check and make sure that all the necessary corrections meet the requirement of the civil aviation authority.
“All the critical items of work are 100 per cent except maybe two items, which of course is the markings and the cleaning. The other critical item is not works but the inspection by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority which will come and certify that the repairs that had been carried out is satisfactory and give us the go ahead to bring in traffic to Abuja.
“Asphalt work is 100 per cent, markings have reached almost 70 per cent, the airfield lighting system has reached 80 per cent. There is additional work which has nothing to do with this repair but we are seizing the opportunity of the closure of the airport to do. This has to do with the APEX (Airport Excellence in Safety) related items”.
