Photo: Wikipedia
Nigeria’s government has proposed closing the airport in its capital, Abuja, for six weeks to repair runways that some airlines have described as dangerous.
The government wants to close Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the country’s second busiest, for most of February and March.
Work by German construction company Julius Berger will continue after the airport reopens and is expected to take six months.
Flights would be diverted for six weeks to Kaduna city, which is 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Abuja on a road frequented by bandits.
A government statement Monday says officials will meet stakeholders on Thursday, realizing the “high level of discomfort and inconvenience” the closure of one of West Africa’s busiest airports will cause.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is an international airport serving Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, and is the main airport serving the Nigerian capital city.
It was named after Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The airport is approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Abuja, and has an international and a domestic terminal that share its single runway.
The Abuja non-directional beacon (Ident: AG) is 1.7 nautical miles (3.1 km) off the threshold of Runway 22.
The Abuja VOR-DME (Ident: ABC) is 1.3 nautical miles (2.4 km) off the same runway.
