An updated deadline for finishing the new airfield lighting work on Runway 18 Left of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos has been set by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
And starting today, July 8, until September, no flights will be able to take off or land on the runway.
Contrary to the original July installation deadline, the new September date will put an end to the crucial infrastructure’s 14-year power outage.
Despite being renovated in 2008, Runway 18L, which serves the nearby airport, was not equipped with airfield lighting. The current administration granted a new contract for the airfield illumination in July 2021, with a six-month completion schedule.
The effect of the regular blackout and ensuing underutilization of the local facilities is evident in the schedules of the local airlines, with the airport subjected to a “operational nightmare,” particularly at dusk in inclement weather.
Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) acting general manager of corporate affairs, stated that the organization remained dedicated to enhancing the safety and effectiveness of flight operations and that plans had been made to finish installing the CAT III Airfield Ground Lighting system on the nearby runway.
“The project is anticipated to take 90 days and will officially begin on Friday, July 8, 2022. As a result, flight operations on Runway 18L/36R will be suspended at this time.
“However, stakeholders should be aware that in-flight services won’t be interrupted. Runway 18R/36L will be used for all regular flight operations (of the international airport). Accordingly, a Notice to AirMen (NOTAM) has already been published and distributed, according to Hope-Ivbaze.
Capt. Hamisu Yadudu, managing director of FAAN, previously told reporters that various facilities at airports across the country hadn’t been updated or rebuilt in the previous 40 years.
“Right now, we are making extra effort to ensure that we perform at our peak. At the Lagos Airport, the 18L is being repaired. Night landings are not permitted on 18L; the contractor is now back. The wires he got were of poor quality, and we are insisting on original ones, even though he was meant to finish in March. He therefore promised to fix it by June or July.
“To fix the new ones and overhaul the entire airfield lighting system, we have engaged the airfield lighting firm in Europe. In 42 years, there hasn’t been an upgrade. As a result, nine years later, we are correcting some of these unfinished projects and beginning new ones, such as the central cooling system and luggage handling, he said.
