Nigeria's Abuja Airport Reopens; Plane Lands In Airport For The First Time In Six Weeks

In the process of rehabilitating the ABV runway, new technology was used to give it extra strength, prevent cracks and retaining rain water. @BashirAhmaad pic.twitter.com/5crZSYgUTD

An aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airlines has landed in the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja.

The airport was shut because of potholes on the runway. BBC

BBC Africa Live report continues:

The aircraft touched down some minutes past 12pm.

Firiehiwot Mekonnen, traffic and sales manager of the airline, had earlier told NAN that the decision to fly the new aircraft to Abuja is because of the belief in the Nigerian market.

Ethiopian Airlines was the only foreign airline that made use of the Kaduna airport during the period that flights were diverted from Abuja.

The Abuja airport was closed on March 8 to enable repairs on its runway.

Earlier, Hadi Sirka, minister of state for aviation, joined a test flight from the Kaduna international airport.

Speaking with reporters at the Abuja airport, Sirika expressed delight that the facility got ready before the deadline

“Runway friction test, the final activity, concluded. Just landed on the runway, everything is perfect. We beat the deadline. We thank you,” he tweeted.

“Abuja runway 100% completed and certified by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Consequently the airport is open for operations. Thank u.”

Nigeria's Abuja Airport Reopens

BBC News reports that Nigeria’s government says the international airport in the capital, Abuja, is now open for business after being closed for six weeks for urgent repairs on the runway, where serious safety concerns had been raised over potholes on the tarmac.

In a country where deadlines often mean delays, the surprise reopening of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport a day ahead of schedule will rightfully be declared a success.  

For six weeks, passengers were rerouted to a tiny airport in the northern city of Kaduna.

Fears of utter chaos and kidnappings on the road to Abuja never materialized.  

But the fact the capital was without a functioning airport for more than a month highlights the state of Nigeria’s crumbling infrastructure. 

Ethiopian Airlines is expected to be the first international carrier to touch down on the tarmac later today.

Other major international airlines, which refused to fly into Kaduna, are now taking bookings for flights to the Nigerian capital for later in the week.