THE Nigerian government has announced the reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu State for flight operations on Monday, April 28.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Obiageli Orah, announced this in a statement on Saturday, April 26.

She said the airport would be reopened following the completion of emergency runway repairs.

“The work was scheduled to begin on April 22nd and conclude before reopening on May 6th, 2025. However, rehabilitation works on the runway have been completed, and the runway is cleared for landings and takeoffs by the engineers working with FAAN,” Orah said.

While appreciating airport users for their understanding and cooperation during the period of runway repairs, she added, “The authority sincerely apologises for the inconvenience but assures the public that all actions were taken in the interest of safety.”

The ICIR had reported that the authorities of FAAN temporarily shut down the airport on April 19 to enable urgent repairs on a damaged part of the runway.

FAAN earlier planned that the emergency repairs would be conducted on the portion of the runway from April 22 to May 6, as a result, normal operations have been halted since then.

A few days after the shutdown of the airport, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, refuted some media reports that the Federal Government had agreed to a lengthy concession period for the Enugu airport. The ICIR had also reported.

He described the reports as untrue, explaining that though the federal government is considering proposals for the concession of five major airports, the report that it had agreed to a lengthy period of concession of the Enugu airport was “utterly baseless and untrue.”