The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said on Sunday that it lost N40 million due to the closure of the Benin Airport for two months.

The Benin Airport Manager, Mr. Sunday Ayodele in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, said the airport reopened on September 3.

Ayodele said that the closure, which lasted for almost two months, was to enable the organisation to carry out comprehensive rehabilitation of the runway and the fire tenders.

He said though the airport was generating an average of N15 million to N20 million monthly, the closure was inevitable.

Ayodele assured airport users of safe and seamless flight operations with the completion of work at the runway.

He urged airline operators to take advantage of the newly rehabilitated runway to commence flight operations into the airport.

Ayodele also urged the Federal Government to order the contractor handling the perimeter fencing of the airport to commence work immediately to reduce incursions into the runway.

He said that the airport would begin 24 hours operations as soon as the ongoing installation of airfield lighting were completed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had on June 20 shut down the Benin Airport for the rehabilitation of the runway which was in bad shape. (NAN)

•Photo shows MMA, Lagos