Nahimah Ajikanle Nurudeen
9 November 2009
Lagos — Minister of Aviation Mr. Babatunde Omotoba has assured all aviation stakeholders as well as airport users that the Federal Airports Authority will fulfill its promise of ensuring safety and security within the nation's airports.
The Minister who spoke during the re-opening of the rehabilitated Kaduna Airport runway on Thursday said the parastatal under his watch, has a mandate to make airports in the country safe and secure.
Omotoba had noted that the runway was not up to par during his earlier visit for inspection prior to the commencement of the Hajj operations. He said, "About two and half months ago, when I came to inspect this airport in preparation for 2009 Hajj, it became clear to us that for us to have a successful Hajj this year, as well as several years more, we need to do major repairs of the runway."
He assured the flying public that the quality of work done will last for the next 10 years. The runway was closed at the beginning of October this year to allow for partial resurfacing of its middle stretch, covering a distance of about 20 metres.
The re-opening of the runway marked the beginning of the airlift of pilgrims for the annual Hajj pilgrimage at the Kaduna airport. The airport is a major point of departure for this year's Hajj operation, with about 9,721 pilgrims from three states: Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue who are already being airlifted in batches.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
