Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has ordered a two-week closure of the runway at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, citing grave safety concerns arising from substandard rehabilitation work carried out in the past.
In a statement shared via his official X handle on Saturday, Keyamo said the federal government was “compelled” to decide the discovery of persistent and worsening structural defects on the runway.
“Dear compatriots, we have been compelled to take this decision to close the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for two weeks starting from April 22nd, 2025, in order to carry out major repair works on it, he stated.
Keyamo noted that although the airport underwent a significant year-long rehabilitation in 2019, the core issue of waterlogging was never effectively resolved. According to him, this oversight has led to persistent cracks and potholes on the runway, which now threaten the safety of passengers.
“Unfortunately, when we came to the office, we discovered that the waterlogged part of the runway was not properly constructed to take care of the problem, leading to constant cracks and potholes on the runway. These obviously put the lives of the travelling public at great risk,” he said.
The minister, who visited the site personally, said he was displeased with the contractor’s work.
“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor,” he revealed.
Keyamo added that despite ongoing palliative repairs, the condition of the runway has worsened to the point where the cracks have turned into “craters,” prompting the urgent closure.
“We have been carrying out constant palliative works on it, but the problem has not abated, and the cracks on the runway are becoming craters,” he added.
Keyamo apologised for the disruption the closure would cause, especially for the Southeast region, but assured the public that flights would be rerouted to neighbouring airports during the period of repairs.
“We sincerely apologise to Nigerians over this development as the airport is our major international gateway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
“In the meantime, scheduled flight operations to Enugu will be diverted to other neighbouring airports. We are going to work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience this closure will cause the travelling public,” he said.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) issued a statement through its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, emphasizing that the decision is aimed at ensuring safe and efficient flight operations.
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