The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said will shut down the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu to allow for essential runway maintenance works.

According to the agency, the airport would be temporarily closed from April 22 to May 6th, 2025, for runway repairs.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah in a statement early Saturday, explained that there is a sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway. Hence, emergency repairs will be conducted on that portion of the runway from April 22 to May 6, 2025.

In compliance with Nigerian civil aviation regulations, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has, therefore, closed the runway during this period.

“As part of FAAN’s commitment to passenger safety and the modernisation of airport facilities, the runway will not be open for landings or takeoffs during the rehabilitation period.

“FAAN appeals to all airport users and stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation during this time. All flights to this airport will be diverted to nearby airports,” she stated.

She apologised for the late and unexpected notice regarding the closure.

The announcement came shortly after Nigeria's largest carrier, Air Peace, suspended flights to the airport, citing the poor condition of the runway.In a statement released on Friday and signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Ejike Ndiulo, the airline said it was compelled to halt operations into Enugu due to persistent runway issues that have been causing major disruptions to its flights.

“We regret to inform you that all flights scheduled to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu are temporarily suspended due to safety concerns,” the statement read.

“The situation of the Enugu runway has been causing major disruptions to Air Peace flights, hence the decision to temporarily suspend further flights into this airport until further notice.”

Air Peace emphasised that safety remains its top priority and expressed confidence that suspending operations will give the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) the needed time to conduct runway repairs.

“At Air Peace, we prioritise Safety first over convenience. We believe that if flights are not operated into this aerodrome for the next few days, it will allow FAAN the opportunity to perform the necessary repairs on the runway,” the statement added.

In the interim, it was stated that all Air Peace flights originally scheduled for Enugu will now operate to and from the Asaba Airport.

The statement concluded with an appeal for passengers’ understanding during this period, reiterating that the decision was made in the best interest of public safety.

“Please be informed that all flights scheduled into and out of Enugu will now be operated into and out of Asaba airport. We regret any inconvenience this change might have caused.”

Meanwhile, Ibom Air in a statement earlier said in light of the repairs, it had suspended all flights to and from Enugu within the affected period.

“Our Customer Contact Centre will reach out to all passengers already booked on affected flights. In the meantime, passengers may explore alternative travel options via our desks at Lagos (LOS), Abuja (ABV), or Enugu (ENU) airports,” the airline stated.

The airline said it regretted the inconvenience the disruption may cause to its passengers and thanked them for their understanding.

“The safety of our passengers remains our top priority, and we look forward to resuming full operations in Enugu once the runway maintenance is completed,” it added. (Additional reports by Aviation Metric)

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