The Federal Government, through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, has closed the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu for emergency runway repairs for two weeks.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.

According to Ms Orah, there is a sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway.

She said that as a result, the emergency repairs would be conducted on the portion of the runway from April 22 to May 6.

Ms Orah stated, “In compliance with the Nigerian civil aviation regulations, FAAN has, therefore, closed the runway during this period. As part of FAAN’s commitment to passenger safety and modernisation of airport facilities, the runway will not be open for landings or take-offs during the rehabilitation period. FAAN appeals to airport users and stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation during this time. All flights to this airport will be diverted to nearby airports. The authority apologises for the late and unexpected notice regarding the closure.”

Domestic carriers such as Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines suspended flight operations at the airport due to the poor state of the runway.

In a statement on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Uloka, apologised for the disruption the development might have on travel plans of passengers at Easter.

She stated, “As a result, we have rescheduled your flights for today, April 19, to operate to and from the Chinua Achebe Airport, Anambra, should this be convenient for you. Passengers willing to travel through the Anambra Airport are kindly advised to be at the airport at the scheduled flight time.’’

Also, the Air Peace Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, said the suspension of flight operations into and from the airport, would afford FAAN the needed opportunity to effectively fix the runway.

He said, “We regret to inform you that all flights scheduled to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu are temporarily suspended due to safety concerns. The situation of the Enugu runway has been causing major disruptions to Air Peace flights, hence the decision to temporarily suspend further flights into this airport until further notice.’’

(NAN)