UPDATE: Arik, Aero cancel all flights from Abuja as airport remains shut

13:34 UPDATE

Arik, Aero cancel all flights from Abuja as airport remains shut

The two major functional domestic airlines in Nigeria, Aero Contractors and Arik Air, have cancelled all their flights from Abuja airport on Thursday.
This is due to the shutdown of the airport by aviation authorities since early Thursday morning.
The airlines announced the cancellations to hundreds of passengers gathered at the Abuja airport. The passengers are currently queuing to reschedule their flights.
“We are queuing up to reschedule our flights after the cancellation,” Charles Musa, an Aero passenger told PREMIUM TIMES.
The passengers were told by airport officials that the shutdown was caused by a problem on the runway.
Though aviation authorities are yet to release an official statement on the cause of the closure, officials said that a Saudi Arabian cargo plane developed fault as it landed on the only major runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport; thus preventing planes from leaving or landing at the airport.
The airport was still shut as at 1:30 p.m.
11: 50 UPDATE:

Abuja airport still shutdown at 11:46 a.m. as Arik calls passengers for emergency meeting

Contrary to what aviation officials told hundred of stranded passengers at the Abuja airport, the airport was still shut down as at 11:46 a.m.
Officials had told the passengers that the problem with the runway would be resolved by 11:00 a.m.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik, has called for an emergency meeting with its passengers stranded at the airport. The meeting to be held at a section of the Abuja airport was about to start at 11:46 a.m.
Aviation officials are yet to tell the media the official reason for the shutdown.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has been temporarily shut as planes have been prevented from taking off or landing.
This has left hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.
One of the stranded passengers, Charle Musa, told PREMIUM TIMES that aviation officials told passengers that there was a problem with the runway. He said they were also told the problem would be resolved by 11:00 a.m.
Thousands more travelling to Abuja from Lagos, Port-Harcourt and so on have also had their flights delayed.
There are reports that a plane, reportedly a Saudi Arabian plane, developed fault after landing on the runway and is the cause of Monday’s shutdown.
However, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that an Overland airline plane, considered a small plane, landed at the airport despite the shutdown.
Efforts to get official confirmation were unsuccessful as aviation spokesperson, Yakubi Datti, did not respond to his calls.

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