There are indications that the domestic runway (18 left) of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos may have collapsed again.
The runway was taken over from the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and handed over to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, in March last year by the Ministry of Aviation.
The equipment was installed last December by NAMA. It was gathered that the runway now accommodates only visual operations while aircraft are diverted to the international runway (R18R) for landing and takeoff. Visual operations end at 6pm while night operations start from 6pm till the early hours of the following day.
The inability of the runway to work at night has led to aircraft being delayed in the air as they land according to arrival at the airport. A source close to NAMA confided in our correspondent that what was installed at the airport last December by the agency was a rechargeable airfield lighting, whose power depletes after few minutes of usage by airlines, especially in the evening.
According to the source, such airfield lightings are supposed to be used in airstrip and airfield with low traffic and not at a major airport like the Lagos and Abuja airports.
The source, however, said the pilots could not complain of the situation to the public for fear of their airlines being punished by the government, but insisted that the situation had been like that for over six months now.
He said: “What we have at Lagos Airport is rechargeable airfield lighting, which is not good for an airport as busy as this. This has been the situation for several months now and we don’t know what the government is doing about it.
“It is difficult for the pilots to complain of the sordid situation because if they do, their airlines would be dealt with by the government.
So, they are keeping silent on the issue.” NAMA had on December 28, 2012 delivered mobile airfield lighting to facilitate the landing and take-off of airplanes on the runway after dusk.
The lights had arrived on Allied Air, a cargo airline, on December 24. For over five years, the runway operated without airfield lighting, costing domestic airlines some N20 billion on extra fuel, wear and tear on the aircraft, and delays both in the air and during taxiing to the domestic terminal, MMA2 or the General Aviation Terminal, GAT.
The airfield lighting is remotely controlled and is in rechargeable trailer that is meant to last for 200 hours before it is due for recharge. NAMA had said that the lights got the approval of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Annex 14 and it was also compliant with the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority’s regulations.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, said in an online statement that the deployment of the mobile airfield lighting had put an end to more than five years of flight restrictions placed on daylight operations at the local wing of the airport.
“The absence of the airfield lighting on the runway for half a decade had forced the domestic airlines to land after sunset at the international wing of the airport.’’
Atobatele said the development had compelled domestic aircraft at MMA to burn extra fuel for 15 minutes to taxi down to their various terminals before discharging their passengers.
He said: “This looks like a Christmas gift to the airlines, travellers and Nigerians in general. It is made possible by the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring speedy clearance of passengers and their goods by the Customs at the domestic terminal of the MMA. “It is also due to the foresight of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who ensured quality service delivery at the nation’s airports.’’
Atobatele added that in all, 66 KALKIT brands of emergency airfield lights and additional two approach lights had been deployed by NAMA engineers.
KALKIT is the airfield lighting system that was certified by ICAO, the United States Federal Aviation Authority, FAA, and the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, UKCAA.
He said: “This means that the product is of international standard and safe for deployment in any part of the world.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Interesting....something that is a basic requirement for the safety of lives when taking off and landing at the airport is now being referred to as a "Christmas gift". What a dense statement. To add insult to injury the greedy Minister of aviation is also being lauded for her "foresight". How appalling.... Well its Nigeria, few things surprise me about my country anymore.
ReplyDeleteThis is NOT Lagos Airport's runway. It does NOT have this much lights!
ReplyDelete