The Nigerian Airport Authority has announced a temporary closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja. The move follows an inci
The Nigerian Airport Authority has announced a temporary closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja. The move follows an incident in which an Allied Air Cargo aircraft experienced a tire burst upon landing. The plane skidded off the runway and became stuck, leading to the airport’s closure until the aircraft could be safely towed.
The incident occurred at 10:05 a.m. (1200GMT), and there were five people on board the aircraft. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and all crew members were safely evacuated to the airport’s medical facility for further evaluation. The Airport Emergency Response Team and accident investigators are on-site, working to clear the runway. The airport is expected to reopen shortly, and the Federal Airports Authority has asked the public to refrain from speculating until the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) releases a preliminary report.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is an international airport serving Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving the Nigerian capital city. The airport is approximately 20 km (12 mi) west of Abuja, and has an international and a domestic terminal that share its runway. NAIA was built in the early 2000 and opened in 2002. It holds a pride of place, among airports in the country, as the international airport for the country’s federal capital, Abuja.
The airport named after the late Dr. Nnandi Azikiwe, a foremost nationalist and one of the country’s founding fathers, often plays host to visiting dignitaries and high ranking government officials as well as Nigerians visiting the federal capital for business or leisure.
The airport has two terminals—one, for international flights and the other for domestic flights. Plans by FAAN to build a second runway at this airport, in order to reduce the heavy air traffic on the airport’s single runway are at an advanced stage. A cargo section is also included in the design of the new state-of-the-art international terminal currently under construction at the airport. About 3 million passengers travel through the airport every year.