The Federal Government is to close down the Enugu International airport for the total repairs of its runway.
The runway is also to be extended, expanded and upgraded to ensure safety of flight operations.
Minister of state aviation Senator Hadi Sirika who disclosed this at the 6th stakeholders forum in Lagos, said the runway was in a deplorable condition and must be taken care off to avoid disaster.
He stated that, the threats to safety at the airport apart from the bad state of the runway, the nearness of the local market, radio mast and the free trade zone around the airport were impediments to safety of flight operations into that Airport.
The minister said these impediments were directly at the center line and end of the runway of the airport, adding that recently one of the domestic airlines suffered a bird strike due to the waste generated by the market which attracts birds to the airport environment.
According to the minister, discussions have been on with the Enugu state governor on the dangers of having the free trade zones, local market and the radio mast around the airport and had been assured that they would be removed and relocated to save lives.
“We have done a lot of cut and past for the runway but unfortunately when we fix it, it fails and we cannot continue with that as lots of funds are being wasted”.
