Palliative repair work on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, started Thursday, causing excitement in aviation sector.
Air Peace, a major carrier on the route has commended the Federal Government for the work.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had begun work on the runway with the first phase scheduled from Dec. 14 to Dec. 21.
The authority said the second phase would be from Dec. 27 to Jan. 4, 2018 , while the runway would be only operational from 7am to 3pm on the proposed dates.
Mr Chris Iwarah, Communications Manager, Air Peace, said Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had issued a Notice To Air Men (NOTAM) to the airline in this regard which was in line with the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
He said: “Air Peace is pro-safety and the safety of our passengers is paramount.
“We are commending the government because that runway in particular has been a problem because it has been destroying our tyres and causing other problems.
“So, if the government has come out to say they want to fix it, it is something we must all commend.”
According to him, the airline will still be operating to the Enugu airport during the period as its morning flights will not be affected by the partial closure of the runway.
“Our morning flights will not be affected but our 2pm flight may be affected especially when there is some slight delays.
“We don’t want to take chances and apart from the morning flights; other flights will go to either Owerri or Port Harcourt.
“We have advised our passengers who have already booked flights to reschedule for free no matter the fare differences,” Iwarah added. (NAN)
