A seven-hour closure of the international runway for repairs at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Saturday turned into a total closure of the Lagos airspace for several hours due to unexpected delays in the rehabilitation work on the Runway 18R.
The repair of the Runway 18R (MMIA international wing’s runway) was scheduled to last from 7 am to 2 pm but was extended to 6:30 pm due to unexpected delays in the repair works.
While this lasted, arriving and departing flights were diverted to the local runway (Runway 18L/36R).
However, the situation became worsened when officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria fixing the runway discovered the rehabilitation works would last beyond the sunset, contrary to the programme.
Unfortunately, the domestic runway where local and international flights had been diverted does not have lighting facilities for night landing of flights.
Punch reported that the development caused a temporary pandemonium among officials of FAAN and the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority.
However, NAMA later issued a third Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)- an electronic message to pilots and the entire global aviation community-informing that the Lagos airspace had become closed till 11 pm.
As a result of the temporary closure of the Lagos airspace, several flights due to depart and arrive at Lagos airport in the late evening were hit by several hours of delays, a situation that forced pilots to divert some local and international flights to Abuja, Accra (Ghana) and other airports.
Specifically, a KLM flight from Amsterdam coming to land at the Lagos airport around 7 pm was diverted to the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana.
Also, some inbound local flights which were caught up by the sudden closure of the Lagos airspace were forced to divert to Abuja and other airports.
Other flights meant to depart Ilorin, Benin, Port Harcourt and other airports across the country in the late evening were delayed until around 10 pm when the Lagos airspace was eventually opened
Also, international flights meant to depart Lagos between 7 pm and 9 pm were hit by several hours of delays, with some of the pilots complaining that their passengers would miss their connecting flights.
Specifically, Dubai-bound Emirates Airlines, Instanbul-bound Turkish Airlines and Doha-bound Qatar Airways, meant to depart between 7 pm and 8 pm did not depart until around 10 pm when the Lagos airspace was opened.
Airport officials confirmed the majority of the passengers would miss their connections.
Unconfirmed sources said the delays were caused by the late arrival of the contractor to the site while officials said some of the equipment meant for the repair works broke down.
Some of the local flights reportedly hit by the delays, especially in Abuja include Dana Air, Ibom Air, Max Air, United Nigeria Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace. They were forced to delay their arrivals in Lagos.
