FAAN reopens Lagos airport runway — four months after closure

November 11, 2022 3:05 pm

Federal Airport Authority Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it has reopened the domestic runway (18L/36R) of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, for flight operations.

The authority said this in a tweet on Friday.

The development comes four months after the runway was closed in July.

FAAN said after the installation of the new lighting system, the runway would be opened for 24 hours flight services.

“Domestic runway 18L/36R completed and open for 24 hours flight operations, installation of CAT Ill airfield ground lighting systems completed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos. Today 11 November 2022.”

Breaking: Domestic Runway 18L/36R completed and open for 24 hours flight operations, installation of CAT Ill Airfield Ground Lighting Systems completed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos. Today 11 November 2022. pic.twitter.com/jxhZi8nipa

— Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) November 11, 2022
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In July 2022, FAAN said it would shut down runways 18L and 36R at MMA in Lagos to install an airfield ground lighting system.

The authority said the installations would commence on July 8 and are expected to be completed in 90 days.

It assured domestic airlines that normal flight operations would not be affected by the installations.

“…stakeholders are to note that there will be no disruption. All normal flight operations will be conducted through runway 18R/36L,” FAAN had said.

But things did not go as planned.

Two weeks after the runway was closed, Nigerian airlines, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), wrote to FAAN, asking for an urgent review of the 90-day closure of the MMA runway.

AON’s letter, dated July 15, signed by Abdulmunaf Yunusa, its president, said the closure was taking a toll on its members’ operations as more costs had been incurred.

“The closure of the main domestic runway of MMA automatically adds an additional 10-15 percent more fuel costs per sector into and out of MMA, based on the additional flight and taxi time incurred as a result,” AON had said.

“The airlines have already felt these additional costs within the first week of the closure of the runway. This unnecessary burden is unsustainable for 3 months on the airlines.”