The Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, the only facility servicing international flights in Nigeria’s South-east region, may face its third closure as the federal government considers shutting it down for runway rehabilitation.
The move, aimed at ensuring the safety of air travelers, has raised concerns about its impact on the movement of people in the states of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Abia.
In 2019, the airport underwent a similar closure for runway repairs, with then-Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika assuring that periodic maintenance would be carried out to prevent future closures. The rehabilitation work, which cost N10 billion approved by former President Buhari, was executed by PW Nigeria Limited.
However, just four years later, the government is once again contemplating closing the airport due to the runway’s deteriorating condition. Experts attribute the frequent need for repairs to the soft soil on which the runway is built, which weakens over time due to aircraft landings.
Air Peace, a major operator at the airport, supported the 2019 closure for safety reasons but urged the government to upgrade the facility to a 24-hour flight operations airport.
While the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has not officially communicated plans for another closure, many stakeholders believe that alternative repair methods should be adopted to rehabilitate the runway without disrupting operations, as is done in other countries.