Dana Plane Incident: FAAN Reopens Lagos Airport Runway

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Wednesday, announced the reopening of Runway 18L/36Rahut after an aircraft belonging to Dana Airline overshot the runway on Tuesday.

FAAN said the runway was thrown open for flight operations since 19:58hrs Tuesday evening.

LEADERSHIP reports that a Dana Airline’s McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft slipped off the runway at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The incident occurred around past 9 am local time, on Tuesday, resulting in the shutdown of the runway where the incident happened.

However, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP by the FAAN’s Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, he said Authority’s emergency response team evacuated and recovered the aircraft from the incident cite.

Orah stated that comprehensive clearing operations were conducted to ensure the runway was free of any Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that could impede flight safety.

“FAAN is pleased to notify the public and all stakeholders that Runway 18L/36R was reopened for flight operations at 19:58hrs. This development follows the earlier closure of the runway this morning due to an incident involving a Dana Air aircraft, with registration number 5N-BKI, which overshot the runway during its landing sequence.

“Prompt actions were taken by our emergency response team to evacuate and recover the aircraft from the site. Subsequently, comprehensive clearing operations were conducted to ensure the runway was free of any Foreign Object Debris (FOD) that could impede flight safety,” he said.

The statement noted further that the FAAN Operations division and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) have jointly conducted a thorough inspection of the runway surface and deemed it safe for the resumption of operations.

“An appropriate Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued in this regard,” Orah said.

FAAN acknowledged that the area affected by the overshoot was significantly muddy, adding that a concerted effort was made for the thorough and efficient cleaning of the area to facilitate the swift resumption of operations on Runway 18L/36R.

He further assured air passengers of FAAN’s commitment to providing a safe, secured and efficient air transport environment for all users of the Nigerian airports.

“FAAN wishes to express its gratitude to the traveling public, our airline partners, and all stakeholders for their patience, understanding, and cooperation during the temporary closure. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this incident may have caused.

“Ensuring the safety and security of our passengers, staff, and airport operations remains our top priority. FAAN is committed to providing a safe, secure, and efficient air transport environment for all users of our airports.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria thanks everyone for their continued support and understanding,” the statement added.