The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, will close the 3.9km Runway 18R/36L at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for further rehabilitation work.

The closure, set for Monday and Tuesday is coming just two weeks after the runway was reopened following an almost 11-month maintenance shutdown.

FAAN’s Head of Operations, Mrs. J.U. Nwosu in a memo: “Total Closure of Runway 18R/36L,” stated that the new development on runway 18R/36L is due to rehabilitation work (asphalt phase) at the A2 Taxiway-link of the runway.

The memo further explained that the closure is necessary because of protruding construction equipment, which could pose a hazard to landing and departing aircraft.

During this period, FAAN has confirmed that the alternative runway, 18L/36R, will remain in use.

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FAAN has advised all technical departments whose facilities may be impacted to conduct regular inspections to ensure everything is in order.

This includes, but is not limited to, grass management, enhanced security measures, and 24-hour surveillance.

The memo further emphasized, “It is crucial to implement all measures associated with a total runway closure, ensuring adequate protection for all facilities.”

In March 2023, FAAN temporarily closed Runway 18R/36L for maintenance, initially scheduled for eight weeks.

However, the repairs took longer, causing disruptions to air traffic and flight schedules. During that time, both international and domestic flights were redirected to Runway 18L/36R, a shorter runway primarily intended for domestic flights.

Following the completion of repairs, Links 2 and 3 of the taxiways are now operational, offering international airlines an alternative alongside Runway 18L/36R.

The recently reopened Runway 18R/36L measures 3,900 meters (12,794 feet) in length and 60 meters (197 feet) in width.

Crediblenewsng.com