As stakeholders begin to raise concerns over the likely crises the closure of Runway 18L/36R of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for 90 days to allow for installation of CAT III airfield lighting, would generate in the Aviation industry in Nigeria, Managing Director/ CEO of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt Rabiu Yadudu has said there is no cause for alarm.
Yadudu who insisted that the project cannot be stopped halfway since it is fullblown and would be completed within short periodof time, asssured that there won’t be any disruption to any operation during the period the runway would be shutdown for the project.
The Managing Director of FAAN who spoke with African Business Travel News (ABTN) on telephone this morning said every concerns raised by the stakeholders had been put into considerations before arriving at the decision to shutdown the runway for 90 days to allow for the installation of the airfield lighting.
He, however, said that the runway would not be shutdown today until midnight Friday to allow passengers travel for Eid Malud celebrations.
“The shutdown of Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos Runway L18/R36 for 90 is to allow for the installation of CAT III Airfield lighting. It is not going to disrupt any operation. We have have started this project and it is not stopped halfway but has to go fullblown to be executed within this a short period after we have waited for over a decade. We are no longer going to waste time on it. We have been on this for almost 12 years and now that everything is set to accomplish the project, we are not going to delay anymore. The holes have been dug we have lights on the Centre line and the threshold in place. Let me assure you, no operations would be disrupted,” Yadudu said.
Industry stakeholders in their reaction to have expressed their concerns over the complete closure of the runway to allow for the installation of airfield lighting, raising safety and economic concerns for airlines, saying the closure may result to aerial and ground air traffic congestion at the Lagos airport.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), West Link Airlines Ltd, Captain Ibrahim Kadafir Mshelia MRAeS who expressed delight that the runway may soon become fully operational on the completion of the installation of the airfield lighting, after many years it had been abandoned, however expressed his displeasure over the decision to shutdown the runway compltely – day and night times, insisting that FAAN should have restricted the construction and closure of the runway to night period when no one uses the runway.
Mishelia lamented that the closure will create real traffic chaos at aerial and ground space of the Lagos airport
“It is exciting to hear the lights are coming on finally, but am afraid that closing it completely will create real traffic chaos. The current curfew on that runway should not be tampered with, for obvious reasons. Night construction is possible and will maintain the status quo and less or no effect to current traffic flow, airlines and passengers inconveniences.
” Closing it completely will create heavy arrival and departure aerial traffic and ground traffic (aircraft go slow). ATC will be stacking aircraft overhead Lagos crazily and will overwhelm our them; with the epileptic radar making things even far worse. Even if radar was fully function, when the aircraft all arrive, the Air Traffic Controllers ( ATCos) can do little or nothing beside stack them overhead Lagos to keep holding and take turns to land. I see so many diversions and possible declaration of emergency happening . This is also rainy season folks, wrong time to do this in my opinion. I am looking at this, as a pilot who knows the airspace for decades.
He however suggested that the Western taxiway which has been abandoned for many years should as a matter of urgency be repaired so that the operators on GAT side can use it after sunset to taxi to international wing of the airport
“Western taxi has been neglected for decades and should immediately first be first repaired so that the operators on GAT side use it after sunset to taxi to international through link 1(18L). While Arik and MM2 operators use link 4 (18L) to cross to international. Meaning the current status quo remains, while the construction is done bit by bit but during the current curfew hours (at night) on that runway (daylight use only continues).
“The installation can begin after sunset daily using construction lights till sunrise, then sweep off and open the 18L/36R at sunrise for normal use as currently being done daily,” Misheila suggested .
He added, “No matter how small at a time they do this, it may not even be up to a 6 months if the contractors are experienced and know what they are doing. Technology exists today that you don’t even need to close a runway completely to patch, derobberise or resurface. The contractors should know this and what to do. This is a 2.7km length only. Even if it takes two years, we have waited 10 years doing daylight operation without hope of when? Now we can continue and we know when. Good progress!!!”
He however warned that if government insisted on complrtr closure of the runway for the 90 day work, government and irlines must prepare for delay and diversion related crises
“But if the Government chooses that closing completely will be what they will do, they should expect and prepare for crisis and the airlines as well should expect crisis of schedule delays and diversions. Flight planning provisions allow for only 20mins holding, this will be overwhelmed almost all the time in Lagos and aircraft diversions will be very rampant and operators will pay heavily while customers will curse, because I can see many flights retuning to starting point for fear of unknown delay. Pilots can predict storms not delays caused by such action.
“Let them also prepare for tension at work for controllers and pilots. We also all know What that does to safety. We have pilots in the faan system luckily who understand my language here, it not new on them what I have said here. It’s not a good idea at all to shut the runway completely, the Chief Executive officer of Westlink Airline warned.
In the meantime, a few years ago, O’Hare airport which at the time was the busiest airporr in the world, replaced the whole runway (please note I said replaced not resurfaced) in 30 days and that included lighting, how? Planning, it is that simple, 90 days? Ridiculous
in his reaction to the 90 day closure of the Lagos runway for installation of CAT III airfield lighting. the Director of Research and programme at Zenith Travels, Olumide Ohunayo said FAAN may have a rethink on the duration of the time the closure will last, he however said suggested that night closure would have been preferable considering the high cost of Aviation fuel at the moment.
.”It’s about 60 day work, though NOTAM is for 90 days …I think FAAN should ask them (contractors) to review time frame for fixing those lights. JetA1 price is not smiling at the moment… Luckily the runway is safe so they can work 24hours unmolested,” Ohunayo suggested.
I don’t think the Lagos Airport Runway 18L closure will affect the airport’s operations the way people are concerned. I stand to disagree with this statement, “In the meantime, a few years ago, O’Hare airport which at the time was the busiest airporr in the world, replaced the whole runway (please note I said replaced not resurfaced) in 30 days and that included lighting, how? Planning, it is that simple, 90 days?” O’ Hare Airport has eight runways and wouldn’t be affected much if one is taken out of service for replacement. The statement is as if O’ Hare Airport has only one runway and he mentioned that O’ Hare Airport was the busiest at that time; there are many ways to measure busiest airports in the world and I believe he was talking about the area of aircraft movements; it would had been best if you added aircraft movements to his statement on busiest airport