Flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were temporarily halted on Thursday after a private jet suffered a tyre burst while landing, prompting airport authorities to close the runway for safety reasons.
The incident, which occurred around 2pm, caused a brief disruption to air traffic as emergency teams were deployed to clear the affected aircraft and ensure passenger safety.
It was gathered that the runway was immediately shut down following the burst, in line with standard aviation safety procedures. However, the situation was quickly contained, and the aircraft was removed from the runway after technical inspection.
Confirming the incident, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the closure was only temporary.
“I was informed that a private aircraft experienced a tyre burst on landing. But it has been cleared off the runway and operations are back to normal,” Achimugu said.
The temporary shutdown comes months after the Abuja airport’s runway was last closed for maintenance, which caused flight delays.
It will be recalled that on November 12, 2023, an Aero Contractors aircraft with registration number 5N-BYQ landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) but got its nose wheel stuck on the grass verge while attempting to exit the runway.
The incident rendered a section of the runway unusable and led to a temporary closure of airport operations.
“The aircraft, in a bid to exit the runway via A4, had its nose wheel stuck in the grass verge with its fuselage on the runway. Consequently, the runway was closed pending the towing of the aircraft from the runway.”
Also, on 11 December 2024, a cargo aircraft operated by Allied Air (registration 5N-JRT) skidded off Runway 22, prompting a runway closure while emergency services cleared the aircraft.
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