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The President Bola Tinubu led federal government has announced the temporary closure of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, for emergency runway repairs.
This is as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quality of rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the airport.
Announcing the closure of the runway, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Obiageli Orah, explained that there was a sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway, necessitating its shutdown for rehabilitation.
According to her, repair work would take off from April 22, 2025 to May 6, 2025, after which the airport would be reopened for flight operation.
“In compliance with Nigerian civil aviation regulations, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has, therefore, closed the runway during this period. As part of FAAN’s commitment to passenger safety and the modernisation of airport facilities, the runway will not be open for landings or takeoffs during the rehabilitation period,” Orah said.
Following the closure, Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, had announced the withdrawal of its operations to the airport, saying it was diverting flights to the Asaba airport.
It, however, promised to resume operation to Enugu when the runway is repaired and certified.
Similarly, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Keyamo, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quality of rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the airport.
In a statement shared on Sunday via his official X handle, Keyamo announced the federal government’s decision to shut down the runway for two weeks beginning from April 22, 2025, to undertake emergency repair works due to worsening safety concerns.
“Dear compatriots, we have been compelled to take this decision to close the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for two weeks, starting from April 22, 2025, to carry out major repair works on it,” he stated.
The minister explained that the airport, which serves as a key international gateway for Nigeria’s South-eastern region, had previously undergone a major rehabilitation in 2019 that kept it shut for an entire year.
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