THE Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja has been temporarily shut following an incident involving an Allied Air flight.
The aircraft reportedly experienced a tyre burst after the aircraft landed at the Abuja airport on Wednesday.
The aircraft is reportedly stuck near the runway after skidding off, forcing the airport to be shut pending when the plane would be towed.
A source at the NAIA, who spoke to our correspondent, said, “We are still at the air side at the moment where the incident happened and efforts are ongoing to reopen the runway.”
The incident was said to have caused significant disruptions, with several departures delayed as authorities work to clear the affected runway.
However there were no injuries to the passengers even as emergency officials are on site.
NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, who confirmed the incident, said, “Due to an incident at the Abuja airport, passengers may experience some delays, please be patient and orderly.”
Also, a statement by FAAN spokesperson, Obiageli Orah, said, “At 10:05am on December 11, 2024, an Allied Air Cargo aircraft with registration number 5N-JRT skidded off Runway 22 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with five souls on board with no reported injury.
“They were all safely evacuated and taken to the FAAN clinic for further checks.”
Meanwhile, this newspaper can confirm that the airport emergency response team is on the scene along with accident investigators.
Also, the runway is being cleared and is expected to reopen for operations as soon as possible.
The FAAN further thanked the aviation community and the general public for their understanding and patience.
“We also request that all speculation be put on hold until the preliminary report is released by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB),” the statement read.
However, a source told this newspaper that the airport is open as at the time of filing this report.
“The airport is opened now, we are boarding to Kano via an Air Peace airline”, the source said.
