Benin — Hard time awaits air travellers within Edo and Delta state as federal government yesterday ordered the closure of the Benin Airport.

The Airport built over 30 years ago is to be closed to air traffic from the midnight of Friday, 14 March for remedial works.

A statement from the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),made available to newsmen in Benin said the closure, was to allow for remedial works on the runway and other facilities of the Airport.

The statement added that the repair work would last till midnight of Thursday, March 20, 2008.

It stated further that as result of multiple brakes on the runway surface, it had to be rehabilitated and that works, involved the repainting of the virtual landing marks.

The runway is said to be 2,400 x 45 metres in size. Some of the passengers who reacted to the closure yesterday in Benin expressed mixed feelings over the development and called on FAAN to complete the repairs on schedule.

One of the respondents, Mr. Josuah Ogobe from Delta state said, "this is a good development and for the federal government to have thought about the repair, this shows that things are getting better in the country. In the past, it was always after major air disasters that government thought of such repairs.

"My appeal is that they should do a good job and complete the work on time so that we will not suffer for a long time".