The Federal Government’s recent decision to shut down the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu has stirred mixed reactions, coming just five years after the facility underwent a major rehabilitation.
The airport, which is the South East’s only international gateway, was temporarily closed for emergency runway repairs.
This comes after the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2019 approved N10 billion for the overhaul of the runway and other infrastructural improvements.
Following the repairs, the then Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, reopened the airport, restoring relief to travelers across the region who had endured months of inconvenience due to the earlier closure and flight diversions.
However, despite the completed rehabilitation and the asphalting of the runway, the facility has again developed structural faults, forcing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take emergency action.
Air Peace, the leading carrier operating at the airport, was the first to announce a suspension of its flights, citing safety hazards.
Confirming this in a statement, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo, Head of Corporate Communications for the airline, noted that “safety issues at Enugu Airport have been causing disruption to Air Peace flights.”
Subsequently, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, issued a statement on the airport’s closure.
She explained it was necessary due to “a sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway.”
She further noted, “In compliance with Nigerian civil aviation regulations, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has, therefore, closed the runway during this period.”
“As part of FAAN’s commitment to passenger safety and the modernisation of airport facilities, the runway will not be open for landings or takeoffs during the rehabilitation period.”
The emergency repairs are scheduled to take place from April 22 to May 6, 2025.
In the meantime, airlines are diverting operations to nearby airports, including the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri and the Asaba Airport in Delta State.
Serving key commercial towns such as Onitsha, Nnewi, Awka, Abakaliki, and Idah, the Enugu airport is critical to air travel in the region.
According to sources, pilots had recently begun reporting hard landings, pointing to the runway’s deteriorating condition.
A source familiar with the airport operations disclosed that the underlying issue was a waterlogged section which the 2020 rehabilitation failed to fix.
“So, anytime it rains, the waterlogged portion of the runway continues to weaken the asphalted surface, making landing bumpy for aircraft,” the source said.
Addressing the issue, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, confirmed the airport would be shut from April 22. Offering an apology to Nigerians, he said, “The airport is our major international gateway in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.”
He recalled that the runway had been closed in 2019 for similar reasons and the contract for its full rehabilitation was awarded. However, on assumption of office, he discovered a major flaw in the work.
“Unfortunately, when we came to the office, we discovered that a waterlogged part of the runway was not properly constructed to take care of the problem, leading to constant cracks and potholes on the runway.”
“These obviously put the lives of the travelling public at great risk,” he stated.
“We have been carrying out constant palliative works on it, but the problem has not abated and the cracks on the runway are becoming craters.”
“I personally visited the airport some months after assuming office and expressed my total displeasure with the work done by the contractor,” Keyamo added.
He assured travelers that flight operations would be redirected to nearby airports and pledged to complete the repairs within the announced timeframe.
“We are going to work tirelessly to meet the timeline in order to mitigate the inconvenience this closure will cause the travelling public,” he said.
A former senior FAAN official told DAILY GAZETTE that the persistent problem could only be permanently solved with an engineering redesign.
He suggested building a culvert beneath the runway to drain water from the area.
Also weighing in, aviation expert Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) blamed the recurring failures on a lack of technical oversight.
“It is all because the political office holders are the ones in charge and not the professional operators and the necessary concern for the regulatory authority,” he said.
