FG Re-opens Abuja Airport after Air Incident

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, which was on Wednesday shut to air traffic was reopened for flights at about 5p.m.  Thursday.

The airport was shut down as a result of a B747 Saudi Air Cargo flight SVA 6814 that veered off the runway of the airport.

A statement from the Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation on Media, Joe Obi, said the damaged aircraft had been successfully recovered to the apron and the airport reopened for normal flight operations.

Joe said it took the swift, combined emergency response effort of the aviation agencies, customs, other security agencies and the fire service personnel to accomplish the feat in record time.

Speaking to journalists at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the airport shortly after the completion of the exercise, the Managing Director of National Airport Management Authority, Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, praised the effort of the team that were involved in the quick resolution of the situation, adding that it was a measure of the readiness of all relevant authorities to respond to emergency situations in the aviation sector.

Udoh regretted the inconvenience the temporary suspension of flight operations as a result of the incident had caused the travelling public, commending their patience and understanding with the aviation authorities throughout the period of the exercise.

He assured that safety and security of air passengers remains a top priority in the scheme of things in the sector.

He said an advisory known in aviation parlance as Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had already been issued on the resumption of normal operations at the airport.

At approximately 10.12p.m. on Wednesday, flight SVA6814, a Boeing 747 cargo plane with registration K74798 operated by Saudi Air Cargo arriving into the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, landed safely but subsequently veered off the taxiway.

The incident was immediately brought under control without any casualties.
The airport was subsequently closed temporarily for landing but aircraft were permitted to take-off as normal.

Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers designated to travel to Abuja from Lagos yesterday were shocked when they arrived at the airport and learnt that flights to Abuja would not commence due to closure of the airport’s runway.
At the GAT and the domestic terminal (MMA2) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, throngs of passengers waited impatiently hoping that the aircraft would quickly be removed so that flight operations to the airport would resume but this did not happen until late afternoon yesterday.

In fact, the airlines had to cancel all their flights between Lagos and Abuja.
Spokesman of Arik Air, Banji Ola, told THISDAY that the airline cancelled 16 flights between Abuja and Lagos and also cancelled numerous other flights from Abuja to various state capitals, adding that the country’s biggest airline operates more flights from Abuja to other destinations than from its Lagos operational base.

Aero Contractors, Med View Airlines and First Nation Airways also cancelled all their flights to and from Abuja and this paralysed over 50 per cent of all air domestic services.

THISDAY learnt that the pilot may have ignored the Notice to Air Men (NOTAM) which indicated that a construction work was going at that side of the Abuja runway and taxied towards the construction site, but what irked many Nigerians was that it took a long time before the aircraft which was grounded by the incident was removed.

General Manager, Public Affairs of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Supo Atobatele in a statement said that agency had since issued a NOTAM (notice to air men) on the construction work going on at the runway.

After removing the aircraft, NAMA through its Managing Director, apologised to air travellers about the inconveniences the runway closure caused them and the airlines.
He, however, commended their patience and understanding with the aviation authorities throughout the period and assured that safety and security of air passengers remain a top priority in the scheme of things in the sector.

culled from Thisday