The managing director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu has assured stakeholders particularly airline Operators that Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos would in a matter of weeks be restored to its full operational efficiency after twelve years.
Yadudu gave the assurance this when he conducted aviation journalists on a tour of
the ongoing Air Field Lighting (AFL) project on runway L18/R36 at the
airport on Thursday,
The Managing director who said the AFL project has reached about 90
percent completion, also informed that the rehabilitation works on the
taxiway bravo (B) of the same airport is about 95 per cent completed.
It would be recalled that the air field lighting on the second runway ( L18/R36 at MMIA was abandoned about 12 years ago after the completion of the initial rehabilitation of the runway. A development which restricted operations on the runway to
daylight (6am to 6pm) until it was shotdown completely down for the installation of the AFL system in July 2022.
Yadudu who assured that the runway air fields lighting project which he said was technocally abandoned for about twelve years would be delivered in the next
few weeks on schedule, however insisted that he would not hesitate to to accept a reschedule of the delivery date if delay are
genuine. He explained that this would allow the contractor to deliver a perfect job.
“Our operators waited for twelve years and the runway was not working and suddenly you are getting results with few hours. What is the problem? But the bottom line now is that they are on target. But if there is anything that would make it to be delayed and we are sure it has to do with the issue of safety, we would not hesitate to allow it. Safety is our responsibility. But so far there
is none, “he said.
Taking the journalists on tour of the project, Yadudu showed them dugouttrenches on both sides of the runway in which cables had already been laid and buried up to the approach light system.
He explained that the contractors is focusing more on the electrical works because of the raining season. On rehabilitation of taxiway bravo, Yadudu explained that the project was about 95 percent completed when it was stopped because of inflation about five months ago.
“Taxiway bravo has been 95 percent completed about five months ago. Its issue has to do with procurement; which we are trying to resolve. Because suddenly we had inflation in the course of executing the project. And the contractor was complaining but he is working with us and the ministry decided that we should give him good solution to
resolve it. It is this inflation issues – sudden increase in the cost of
bitumen and asphalt and I think it is everywhere. We are trying to
resolve it quietly so that he would also end up doing a good job. We
don’t want to push him to do a bad job. He too said he has concerns and
we are listening to his concerns. Besides it would had been
commissioned about five months ago,” Yadudu said.
The CEO who affirmed that none of the airports under the control of FAAN is left behind in terms of project executions, said the proposed Abuja second runway project is on course. Saying, “the contractor has been mobilized and expected to move to site very soon.”
He also added that discussions continue on the proposed light train
project between the domestic and international wings of Lagos Airport
