February 17, (THEWILL) – The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has reopened the 18R/36L Runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The 3.9km runway was closed in April 2023, for an eight-week maintenance, but later faced a series of delays, which made the closure stretch to nearly a year.
With the new development, links 2 and 3 of the Runway are now opened to international traffic, thereby reducing the burden on the domestic 18L/36R runway.
Kenya Airways landed on the Runway on Saturday and was welcomed with a water cannon salute.
The reopened runway 18R/36L has a length of 3,900 m (12,794 ft) and a width of 60 m (197 ft),
Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, during a recent inspection tour of the vehicular movement at MMIA, hinted that the reopening of Runway 18R might happen sooner than anticipated.
Kuku revealed that efforts were underway to expedite the reopening process through an interim method coordinated by the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
In preparation for the runway’s reopening, the MD of FAAN highlighted engagements with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to ensure a smooth and timely resumption of operations.
Kuku expressed optimism about the reopening, stating that stakeholders can anticipate it happening relatively soon, with the full support of the minister and permanent secretary.
“We are working closely with the contractor, and with the minister’s and permanent secretary’s support, we expect the reopening in the next few weeks. Our stakeholders have been patient, and we are committed to minimising the delay. While the initial plan was for a six-week closure, unforeseen delays occurred, but we are doing our best to expedite the process”, she said.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
