Four months after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) shut the 18L (domestic) runway of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, the agency has once again shut the 18R (international) runway of the airport.
A source close to the agency confirmed the development to Nairametrics, explaining that the runway would be shut for eight weeks for maintenance purposes.
FAAN confirms development: In the meantime, FAAN has expressed optimism that flight operations would not be affected by the closure of the international runway, saying that the taxiway B-18L of the domestic runway would be used for all flight operations within the period. A statement issued via its Twitter handle said:
- “This is to notify the public that runway 18R/36L of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos has been closed for eight weeks for maintenance work to be carried out. Taxi way B-18L will be used for all flight operations.”
It was also gathered that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has also sent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to all airlines, especially all the international carriers operating into the country to inform them of the development.
When contacted, the General Manager of Corporate Communication at FAAN, Mrs. Faithful Hope-Ivbase, refused to respond to requests for further clarification. A text message to her mobile line was not responded to.
What you should know: Lagos airport has two runways – domestic and international for operations.
The domestic runway was shut for four months in 2022 and reopened in November of the same year.
FAAN had said it planned to shut down the runway for repairs for three months, but it eventually spanned four months before it was reopened.
