New information has shown how a foreign airline got its landing gear damaged while on the runway on Abuja.
Rotimi Amaechi
Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, on Monday,
disclosed that an aircraft, belonging to Lufthansa, had been grounded
for the past three days at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, The
Punch reports.
According to him, the aircraft got his landing gear damaged when it
landed on the bad runway of the airport scheduled to be shut down for
six weeks in March for repairs.
Amaechi said this at the Second Presidential Business Forum held at
the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and presided
over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
The minister was responding to the concerns raised by the President
of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Frank Udenba-Jacobs, on
the negative implications of the planned temporary closure of the
airport.
He said there was no going back on the Federal Government’s decision to close the airport to allow reconstruction of the runway.
Amaechi reiterated government’s position that the runway, built to
last for 20 years, had been in existence for 34 years, necessitating the
need for the rebuilding.
He explained that the entire architecture of the runway from bottom to top had collapsed and was no longer safe to use it.
The minister added, “We are not going back on the planned closure of Abuja airport.
“I understand that Lufthansa landed and damaged its gear and has been here for three days.
“The runaway was built to last for 20 years but it has been in use now for 34 years.
“We cannot do it only at night. We don’t want to lose anybody.
We are not repairing but rebuilding. If anything happens, you will ask
us to resign and we don’t want to resign.”
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