…seeks review of work
Posted by Sade Williams
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has berated the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for not showing evidence of work on the Runway 18L, despite its closure for one week.
The operators in a letter dated July 15, signed by Alhaji Abdumunaf Sarina, president AON written to the Managing director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, lamented that the airlines have suffered untold hardships since the closure of the runway, which is even expected to last for 90 days.
AON also contends that in line with international best practice, runways of airports are only closed when there is no other option.
The operators lamented that the closure of the main domestic runway of MMA automatically adds an additional 10-15 percent more fuel cost per sector into and out of MMA based on the additional flights and taxi time incurred as a result.
According to them, the airlines have already felt these additional costs within the first week of the closure of the runway, adding that ‘this unnecessary burden is unsustainable for a three months period on the airlines’.
‘’For the major airport in Nigeria, AON notes with disappointment that Runway 18L has been closed for a week now with no evidence of any work going on. Yet the airlines have been burdened by huge unnecessary additional costs and flight delays.
‘’For infrastructure project such as this one to limit the impact of flight operations, FAAN ought to have ensured that the contractor does the work at night, when the runway is not in use. If there is an absolute need for work to be done during daylight hours, then agreement should have been reached with the runway users on what time window would allow this.
”Given the above critical concerns, AON implores the management of FAAN to urgently review the closure of Runway 18L and enter into discussion with the users of the runway in a procedure for the project, that limits both the cost impact on airlines as well as disruption to normal flight operations.
“AON hereby request FAAN to convey an urgent stakeholders consultation meeting to achieve the above.”, the letter reads.
