By Chioma Iruke
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said it is currently fixing the taxiway runway lights at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and hopes to have it completed soon.
For 13 years, the Air Field Lighting on Runway 18 Left at the Lagos airport has been left uninstalled, a situation that has prevented aircrafts from landing or taking off when it is dark.
The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) in its recent accidents and incidents report, disclosed that one of the contributing factors to the accident involving Hawker Siddeley aircraft in June 2015 on Runway 21, Port Harcourt airport, was the unserviceable runway lights at the airport.
In the safety recommendations issued, the AIB Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olaeru, said FAAN should ensure the serviceability of the Port Harcourt runway systems during all operations.
“The Runway Edge lights, Precision Approach Path Indicator lights have all been fixed. Fixing of Taxiway lights are at about 70 per cent completion, while work is also ongoing on centre-line and touchdown lights.
“Summarily, we are progressing speedily and all hands are on deck. All hands are on deck to ensure that gaps identified in the Accident Investigation Bureau’s report are promptly closed.
“As a matter of fact, we are not just working to attain CAT II (Clear Air Turbulence) status, our ultimate goal is to attain and sustain CAT III within the shortest time possible,” she said.
Recall, in June the unserviceable state of the runway lights at the Lagos airport forced the British Airways to reschedule all its flights out of London to enable it to land at Lagos airport in the afternoon.
