Shola Adekola – Lagos
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to shut down the runways 18R and 36L at the international axis of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos for repairs.
According to the organisation, in a statement cited on Monday, the runway will be shut down for 8 weeks for maintenance.
For the period the repairs will last, the Taxiway B-18L will be used for all flight operations until the maintenance is done.
The same international runway had earlier in the year been closed down for repairs by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
The latest announcement came eight months after the Runway 18 left at the domestic wing of the airport was equally shut down to enable contractors to install the airfield ground lighting system neglected for over 15 years.
The closure created hardships for domestic airlines as they were forced to
join the foreign airlines to use runway 18/Right usually used by international airlines.
The latest shutdown according to FAAN was in line with the plan to improve the safety and efficiency of flight operations at the Lagos Airport.
The shutdown and the diversion of foreign airline flights to alternate taxiways at the airport may create a chaotic situation, particularly during the peak periods of foreign flights.
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