FAAN Closes Maiduguri Airport, Rehabilitates Others

Managing Director of FAAN, Richard Aisuebeogun, disclosed in Lagos on Sunday that the repair, which has the approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), would be completed within a week.

The runway, according to him, will further undergo total resurfacing in 2009.

Aisuebeogun explained that the latest repair, after completion, would make the runway, safe for flying wide-bodied aircraft, including those slated for the Hajj operations this year.

The authority had last Monday begun the repair of the failed portion of the runway of the Kaduna Airport and it is expected to be reopened for flight operations on Thursday.

The FAAN boss appealed to the travelling public, including the people and government of Borno State, to bear with the aviation authorities during the rehabilitation period.

Aisuebeogun reiterated the commitment of his administration to the development of the nation’s airports with the ongoing rehabilitation of their infrastructure.

He noted that the civic works on the second runway 18L of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos would be completed in six weeks thus putting a stop to the occasional traffic congestion at the airport.

“The runway’s Airfield Lighting System (AFL) would thereafter come on stream,” he stressed.

He revealed that the management has also concluded arrangements with the Singaporean firm that put in place the carousels at the MMA for its rehabilitation.

He stressed that arrangements were in the pipeline to overhaul the entire conveyor belts through the Public Private Participation (PPP) in line with President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua seven point agenda for national development.

Aisuebeogun hinted that the domestic terminal building of the Mallam Aminu Kano International

Airport (MAKIA), Kano, would also be completed in the next six weeks.

The FAAN boss, who stated that his administration adopts a pragmatic approach in the management of the nation’s airports, explained that the maintenance of their facilities is constantly facilitated by his management with its limited resources.

“With our financial constraints, we make all efforts that we release maintenance allocations to all the

airports. We have just sent another maintenance allocation to them. The management, with the

assistance of the regional managers, pays all bills of the airports, including those on diesel for their generators and rehabilitation of the fire tenders.

Sometimes, we send diesel to the airports from our headquarters in Lagos. We settle whatever bill they incur. We have been so prudent with our resources. We don’t want to create any avenue for the wastage of funds. We have also been able to clear most of the debts this administration inherited, particularly those of contractors. We have been able to ensure the constant payment of our staff, including their local and overseas’ training. The records are there as testimonies.

“Our main problem now is the non-payment of debts by the airlines and some government agencies. The airlines currently owe over N4bn over the services we have rendered to them. If they really want us to meet up with the challenges at the airports, they should encourage us by paying their debts,” he said.