By Aondowase Agabi
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja is temporarily closed to traffic until the Max Air near crash aircraft is removed from the runway.
This means all aircraft enroute Abuja airport will have to divert to other airports or return to base to airport.
As at the time of filling this report, the aircraft is still stuck on the runway thus making it impossible for other aircraft to use the running
Daily Trust reports that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja has just one runway, a situation that has raised serious safety and security concerns within the aviation industry.
The second runway has been contemplated in the aviation roadmap but the facility is still in the works eight years of the roadmap implementation.
Both the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) confirmed to our correspondent the airport is temporarily closed to traffic untill the aircraft is evacuated. As at 7:40pm on Sunday, rescue teams were still battling to evacuate the runway.
“Yes the Abuja Runway is temporarily closed to flight operations until the disabled aircraft is removed from the runway” NAMA CEO Matthew Pwajok told our correspondent.
An aircraft belonging to Max Air escaped a crash situation on Sunday when it had two burst tyres at landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The aircraft, a B737 with registration number 5N-MBD at around 3pm developed a technical fault during approach bursting left landing it’s gears, according to preliminary findings from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
The aircraft had 144 passengers and six crew on-board. It left Yola enroute Abuja on Sunday.
The Emergency response teams of FAAN ARFFS, Avsec, Airfield operations, FAAN Medical, Airforce,Airline Operator and other stakeholders swiftly responded to the incidence, FAAN officials say.
The passengers were evacuated Safely but the aircraft had two bursted tyres.
FAAN authority said efforts are on to fixed the tyres and get the runway back to operation.
Also the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said it wasn’t crash incidence.
“It is not a plane crash but a Max Air aircraft from Yola to Abuja that landed at time 1357utc and had bursted tyres on landing. Passengers were safely evacuated while efforts are being made to tow the aircraft out of the Runway where it got stuck” NAMA CEO Matthew Pwajok said.
Max Air in a statement said the situation has been brought under control and all necessary investigations protocols have been activated.
