The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reopened the Murtala Muhammed airport Runway 18L/36R for flight operations at 19:58hrs.
The runway was temporarily closed on Tuesday following an incident involving an aircraft belonging to Dana Air which veered off the runway after landing.
The aircraft with registration number 5N-BKI, which took off from Abuja with 83 passengers and six crew members overshot the runway during its landing sequence at the Lagos airport without any casualty.
According to the aviation policy, the runway under the circumstance is expected to be temporarily shutdown to enable the authorities evacuate the distressed aircraft from the site, with other checks conducted on the runway before other aircraft can make use of it.
A statemwnt issued by the Director of public affairs and consumer protection, FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah to announce the repoening of the runway declared: ” Prompt actions were taken by our emergency response team to evacuate and recover the aircraft from the site. “Subsequently, comprehensive clearing operations were conducted to ensure the runway was free of any Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that could impede flight safety. The FAAN Operations division and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have jointly conducted a thorough inspection of the runway surface and deemed it safe for the resumption of operations. An appropriate Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued in this regard.
“We acknowledge the area affected by the overshoot was significantly muddy. A concerted effort was made for the thorough and efficient cleaning of the area to facilitate the swift resumption of operations on Runway 18L/36R.
FAAN however expressed its “gratitude to the traveling public, our airline partners, and all stakeholders for their patience, understanding, and cooperation during the temporary closure. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this incident may have caused.
“Ensuring the safety and security of our passengers, staff, and airport operations remains our top priority. FAAN is committed to providing a safe, secure, and efficient air transport environment for all users of our airports.”
