The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has commended the Federal Government and by extension the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for the successful installation of Airfield Lighting on Runway 18L/36R at the Domestic Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Onyema, who gave the commendation in a news release issued to journalists on Friday, November 11, 2022, congratulated Sirika on the feat and hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s favourable policies to the aviation industry.
Air Peace was also the first airline to operate out of the rehabilitated runway with a first departure from Lagos to Kano on its Boeing 737 with registration 5N – BUJ, the flight: P4 7420 was airborne at 0618HRS.
“I must applaud the Federal Government for successfully installing lighting facilities on Runway 18L/36R. President Buhari has been supportive to the aviation sector and projects like this one are a testament to the fact. One is not oblivious of the strides that have been achieved in Nigeria’s aviation sector courtesy of President Buhari.
“The installation of Airfield Lighting on this particular runway will go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of airlines and reducing the cost of operations as well as enhance the possibility of increasing flight frequencies. It will also help reduce turnaround time, which makes for more operational efficiency, and both the operators and passengers will benefit from it”, the Air Peace boss asserted.
It can be recalled that the 2.7 kilometres (2,700m) long Runway 18L/36R was shut down by FAAN on July 7, 2022 for 90 days to install approach lights, Runway Lights (Threshold and Centre, edge light) and others so that it can return to full 24/7 operations and ease the burden of airlines. With the Airfield Lighting installed, the unnecessary 10-20 minutes spent and fuel burnt when an aircraft lands on the international runway before taxiing to the domestic, will end and generally, it will make for aircraft usage maximisation.
