The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has heeded the advisory circular by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA to increase the friction coefficient levels of runways in the country.
This perhaps may not be unconnected with the recent incident involving Airpeace aircraft that skidded off the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in River State.
FAAN says therefore, it has commenced an intensive re-assessment of runways at the nation’s airports based on their findings that despite the regular friction measurement for Port Harcourt International Airport was conducted in March 2019 with the minimum friction coefficient level, the facility witnessed a skidding incident.
In a press statement, the General Manager public Affairs FAAN Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, says this recent move by FAAN, is aimed at improving on the efficiency of the facilities, thereby forestalling potential accidents on the runways.
“It is therefore with the intention to increase the friction coefficient levels of our runways in accordance with NCAA advisory circular that the Authority is embarking on this exercise across the nation’s airports as the rain is becoming very heavy and unpredictable”.
As a short term measure to increase the safety of the Port Harcourt runway, the Authority says it “just carried out a de-rubberization exercise between 15 to 22 June, 2019 to remove any contaminant”.
