South African Airways on Tuesday announced cancellation of flights to Abuja during six weeks of renovations starting March 8.
Airlines have refused a government proposal to divert flights to Kaduna and bring passengers by bus to Abuja – a three-and-a-half-hour ride on a road notorious for accidents, hijackings and kidnappings.
That proposal “would impact on aircraft availability and connectivity for our passengers,” SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said.
The government says the runway of Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is in shocking disrepair and that attempts to fix it piecemeal since its lifespan ended 14 years ago have failed. An SAA plane was damaged on landing there in August.
Officials have said it would be impossible to carry out the repairs at night to help minimize the massive disruption to government business and the country’s ailing economy.
British Airways, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa also have temporarily cancelled flights to Abuja during the repairs. Flights to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, continue.
The Abuja airport is Nigeria’s second busiest international airport, with about a half-million international passengers passing through in the second half of 2015, according to government data.
Nigeria’s government had promised to provide security on the highway from Kaduna to Abuja and to upgrade facilities at Kaduna’s airport. Three months ago, that airport did not have computers, with airline officers issuing handwritten boarding cards.
Lack of maintenance affects infrastructure across Nigeria, despite its status as one of Africa’s largest economies.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, however, says the Federal Government will ensure the total rehabilitation of the Abuja Airport runway for smooth operations and deliver it in six weeks.
Amaechi, who acknowledged the pains closure of the airport would cause the economy, maintained that his ministry would ensure the reopening after due rehabilitation is concluded.
