BREAKING: Abuja Airport Shut As Saudi Plane Blocks Runway
The Nigeria Airspace Management Agency has closed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to air traffic.
According to the information gathered, this followed the blocade of the runway by a Saudi Airline cargo plane, which landed around 9pm on Wednesday but developed a minor problem after landing.
NAMA subsequently issued a Notice To Airmen on Thursday morning, meaning that the airport had been closed to both incoming and outbound planes.
Thus, as a result of this action, thousands of passengers are stranded at different airports in the country, especially those who are Abuja-bound in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Kaduna, Kano and Abuja among others.
Officials are said to be battling to fix the grounded cargo plane and clear the runway.
UPDATED
The two major functional domestic airlines in Nigeria, Aero Contractors and Arik Air, have cancelled all their flights from Abuja airport.
It has also been learnt that only domestic flights out of Abuja are allowed to fly out of Nnamdi Azikwe Airport.
However,thousands of passengers coming to Abuja are stranded at different airports in the country as flights to Abuja are not being allowed to take off.
P.M. NEWS gathered that the situation has led to rowdy scenes among stranded passengers in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Kano among others.
According to the information gathered, international flights coming into the Airport are being diverted to Lagos. A British Airways flight scheduled to land in the Airport early this morning was diverted to Lagos.
“What we are trying to do now to ensure safety which is paramount in all we do is that we have suspended all flights coming to Abuja until we evacuate the aircraft,” Dati said while confirming the incident.
“Even as at yesterday, flights are still coming to Abuja, but we just have to be extra careful before we allow flights to continue,” he added.
He also made it known that officials of Accident Investigation Bureau are already investing the incident, while officials of FAAN and NAMA are coordinating the evacuation of the aircraft.
Dati stated that the aircraft will be evacuated within few hours so that flight into Abuja can continue.
Source: Legit.ng
