Abuja Airport Closure

A test flight from Kaduna international airport landed in Abuja on Tuesday morning, with the Minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, on board.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, which has remained shut for over one month, is now ready for commencement of flight operations, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Saleh Dunoma has said.

The Vice President expressed satisfaction with the rate of work, saying he was optimistic that the airport will reopen at the scheduled date as the repair works appeared 80 percent completed.

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has explained that the federal government chose the Kaduna airport as an alternative for the Abuja International airport which has been shut down in order for repair works because of ease of logistics and security.

Two days after the federal government expressed satisfaction with the safety measures at the Kaduna International Airport, the House of Representatives has condemned shoddy arrangement in the airport and expressed doubt about the safety of the passengers.

The federal government has banned the planned helicopter shuttle service between Kaduna and Abuja in the wake of the closure of the Abuja International Airport and the attendant diversion of all Abuja-bound flights to the Kaduna airport.