On December 19, 2016, the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika told journalists in Abuja that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIAA) will be closed for six weeks in February and March 2017 for the repairs of bad and expired runways built over three decades ago, as that was the only viable option.
The 3,100-metre runway has a life span of 20 years, as it was built in 1982 and no longer served its purpose, the minister had said. He added that though the rehabilitation would last six months, six week will see the total closure of the runway to flights, so all flights in and out of Abuja will be diverted to the Kaduna International Airport.
The total shutdown, he said, was necessary as previous palliatives and short-term measures had failed, thus a total reworking of the runway was the only viable option in spite of the hardships that will cause. But since that announcement, the aviation industry has been troubled. The operators are worried, and so are the passengers. But worse still, most of the airline operators claim they haven’t received an official communication over the matter and until they do so, won’t be making any arrangement to move operations to Kaduna.
Azman Air’s Abuja Airport Manager, Mr. Abdullahi Abu Saroke, said they learnt about the impending closure in the media.
Foreign airlines shun Kaduna airport
Daily Trust investigations showed that international airlines, especially European carriers will not be flying into Kaduna International Airport during the six weeks of the Abuja airport’s closure. Some other airlines that have also expressed reservation about the Kaduna route, according to our findings, are South African Airways and Turkish Airlines. Our correspondent gathered that these airlines will only maintain their Lagos routes until the Abuja airport is open for business again.
However, industry sources say Ethiopian Air, Egypt Air and Asky Air would likely operate the Kaduna routes during the six weeks. Nigerian international carriers like Medview and Arik Air will operate those routes as well, checks showed.
The Kaduna International Airport handled a total 12 flights in December 2015, the last month for which Nigeria’s Airports Authority has figures, compared with 812 that used Abuja International, Euronews reported.
Flight checks by our correspondent also revealed that Abuja International operates 45 flights per week to various destinations across the world. Thus in six weeks, the Abuja airport operates 270 international flights. This is the possible number of international flights Kaduna would handle if all the international airlines agree to fly that route.
Question for the experts
The Abuja airport runway is about 3,100 metres long. Large aircraft need at least 2,410 metres runway to take off and land. The smaller aircraft like Boeing 737 series needs at least 1,900 metres for same. The runway is majorly damaged around the link A3 taxiway. With this information, experts are saying, the runway can still be fixed in bits while flights continue. What would probably happen is that flight operations would be scaled down by say half and wide bodied aircraft that require long takeoff and landing would not fly while the work last.
Mr. Saroke of Azman Air wondered: “If the runway is 3100 metres, why not divide it, while you are working on one end, so the airlines will be using one end?”
A former MD/CEO, Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), Capt. Roland Ayayi, said the runway can be done in bits, in 200 metres at a time until the whole runway is completed. “There is no need for the total shutting down of the airport for six weeks,” he said, suggesting that the runway can be worked on between 12:00am to 6:00am.
The minister had said from studies, half measures would serve, but a total closure is necessary but painful in the circumstance. He thus appealed for patience and understanding from stakeholders.
A senior FAAN official who spoke on condition of anonymity explained that “We had thought of fixing the bad runway in smaller measures but after investigation, we discovered if we do that, the runway would last for just three years after which, it will be bad again. So we don’t want to go with public opinion and compromise on quality. But even if we settled on doing the palliatives, we would still close the airport when we get to the middle. So it’s in the interest of the public, ultimately that the runway is fixed now in spite the pains.”
He said Kaduna airport can accommodate B747 aircraft so they don’t anticipate we will have challenges with accommodating large aircraft.
On whether the international airlines have agreed to move he said, they are still discussing adding that there is no firm commitment from them yet.
But from Kaduna, investigations however indicated a lack of enthusiasm that is almost the opposite of the kind of reaction people expected of a facility that will be saddled with kind of responsibility envisaged with the temporary switch. There has been apprehension especially with the poor state of the Kaduna-Abuja expressway and other security challenges like high cases of robberies and kidnappings along the route.
The main concern however has been whether the Kaduna airport, which would benefit from the six weeks shut down has enough facilities to make up for what air travelers would be missing at the Abuja airport.
The minister said the six weeks would allow the mid-section of the Abuja runway be reconstructed but Abuja-bound passengers from any part of the world will use Kaduna airport as alternative during the six-week closure to passengers. He said arrangements have been finalized with Kaduna State to use the airport as an alternative and assured passengers that the federal government will provide buses to convey the passengers to Abuja some 210 kilometers away and the state government will provide security.
Barely six months to the planned readjustment, not much seems to be happening. At the main gate of the airport, our correspondents noticed the presence of only two Air Force personnel, and vehicles going into the premises are only asked to buy tickets worth N200, open their boots and access into the airport is granted.
A former Managing Director of the defunct Nigerian Airways, Captain Mohammed Joji, who spoke with our correspondents blamed the failure to equip Abuja with a second runway as responsible for the situation the airport has now found itself. He said, “All along, since Abuja airport was constructed in the 80s, there was a master plan for a second runway, unfortunately over 30 years ago, the federal government has not done that.”
A peep at facilities at the Kaduna airport does not give a reassuring picture. The terminals are currently not in use, and sources at the airport say this is because it has been under construction for over six years. It was gathered that the authorities have as a result converted the hajj terminal for use by all passengers and is grossly inadequate for an airport of that magnitude. But even as the main terminal was shut for renovation, no work is currently going on.
Many who use the airport say the inconvenience passengers are made to go through is what has scared many to use Abuja instead and wondered how the airport would cope within the six weeks. Efforts to speak with the Airport Manager failed as she was said not to be on seat when our correspondents called.
But the Equipment Maintenance and Engineering representative of the Nigerian Aviation Holding Company Plc (NACHO AVANCE), Ebenehi Mike, told Daily Trust that the airport is making a report on the state of facilities to the ministry in Abuja so it that it will be aware of what is on ground and take necessary action.
Daily Trust also confirmed that so far, no company offers helicopter services which could have made the shuttle between Kaduna and Abuja easier and more convenient for passengers, and that so far, no firm has indicated interest in offering the service even as the date for the shut-down of Abuja airport draws near. Air travelers in Kaduna have appealed to the government to speed up the completion of the main terminal before the Abuja airport is closed so that the airport can accommodate all incoming flights and passengers. So, even as the Abuja end readies for the shutdown, the Kaduna end seems to be sleeping.
