Flights Resume At Abuja Airport After Cargo Plane Runway Incident

Runway 22 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja has been reopened, with planes now resuming normal operations on Wednesday.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed this development, stating that both landings and takeoffs of planes have resumed as usual.

The update was shared by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to the MD of FAAN, Gbenga Oloeunpomi, on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

He wrote, “Update: Runway has been opened, and planes are now landing and taking off. Thanks for your kind patience.”

LEADERSHIP reports that the runway was earlier closed to flights after a cargo airplane skidded off the runway earlier on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, triggering a temporary closure. The incident involved an Allied Air Cargo aircraft with registration number 5N-JRT, which had five crew members on board but no reported injuries.

Michael Achimugu, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the situation and noted, “Due to an incident at the Abuja airport, passengers may experience some delays, please be patient and orderly.”

FAAN spokesperson Obiageli Orah also provided further details about the incident, saying, “At 10:05 am, an Allied Air Cargo aircraft skidded off Runway 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with five souls on board, with no reported injury. They were all safely evacuated and taken to the FAAN clinic for further checks.”