Reasons for flight disruptions at MMIA - Aviation Minister

Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos

Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

By Richard Elesho

Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika has expressed concern over flight disruptions at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and assured air travellers that normalcy would soon be restored.

This is contained in a statement by James Odaudu, Public Affairs Director in the Ministry of Aviation.

Odaudu assured that the comfort, safety and security of the flying populace remained the central focus of the ministry and that no effort would be spared in ensuring this.

“The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has noted, with great concern, the experiences of air travellers to and from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos regarding flight diversions and, in many cases, outright cancellations, which have been occasioned by highly inclement weather conditions.

“While these developments are greatly regretted, we wish to let the public know that the authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos were in the process of replacing the old Category 2 Instrument Landing Systems with the newly procured Category 3 system that allows for the lowest visibility landing. Unfortunately, there was a malfunctioning of certain components, which, coupled with the unforeseen weather conditions, made landing at the airport difficult.

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“The procurement of the Category 3 Instrument landing System is in pursuance of the desire of the Federal Government to ensure the safety of air passengers by ensuring that airplanes can land with almost zero visibility.

“We wish to assure the public and the airlines, that efforts are on to return the system to full working condition and that normalcy of operations will be re-established in due course”, the statement read.

On the diversion of incoming international flights to neighbouring countries, Odaudu reiterated that the decisions were purely those of the airlines over which the ministry had no control.

“However, it should be noted that those flights could, and should have been rerouted to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja which is shorter or equidistant from Lagos to the foreign airports to which some of the flights have been diverted.

“In recognition of Abuja as an alternate airport, Qatar Airlines has applied to divert its flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, to which the Minister granted immediate approval. It is left to be seen why some others decided to divert to another country”, the said.

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