… confirms issuance of NOTAM
Lufthansa Airlines claimed that its pilots had to offload some passengers and luggage last week to achieve maximum take-off thrust because the crew was unaware of a damaged Abuja airport runway section,.
However, investigation has confirmed that a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued regarding the repair of the runway.
Findings revealed that, in addition to the NOTAM issued by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which manages the country’s airports, also released a message informing all airlines of the issue and the planned repairs to the identified depressed section of the runway.
The message obtained by our correspondent was issued on Wednesday, 23rd July, announcing the runway closure and scheduled repairs, while advising airlines to review their flight schedules accordingly.
The message stated: “Good morning, all airline operators. Kindly note that RWY 04 will be closed shortly from 10 pm tonight (24th July) to 4 am tomorrow (25th July) local time to carry out planned repairs on the depressed section of the pavement.
“Furthermore, all flight operations during this period are advised to be reviewed accordingly.
“Please be aware that operations have been constrained by the weather conditions and are guided by the forecast during this period.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused as we work to restore the runway to normalcy for safe operation.”
Additionally, it was found that FAAN had already circulated GPS coordinates of the depressed section on 21st July.
Experts commenting on the situation have voiced concern over Lufthansa’s decision to continue operating with a large number of passengers, despite being informed that flight operations should be reviewed during the repair period.
Travel Consultant Mr. Botunde Dele remarked, “blaming the airport authority in this case is ill-conceived. We need to ask a few questions. Why is it the only plane that complained, because we all know it is not the only aircraft that used the runway during the period?”
“Additionally, the statement attributed to the pilot claiming they were not informed of the depressed portion of the runway should be treated with caution. The pilot couldn’t have made that statement because any NOTAM issued anywhere goes across the whole world.
“So, for anyone to say, especially the pilot, I don’t think it is true, since Lufthansa Airlines itself hasn’t issued any statement to that effect. I know for sure that other international carriers with similar wide-bodied aircraft were landing and taking off from the same runway.”
An engineer from FAAN, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the depressed section had already been repaired and that normal flight operations have since resumed.
He said: “These are issues that happen everywhere. The section was depressed, and we took precautionary measures by first informing the airlines and then taking action to ensure that the entire length of the runway was fully functional. That has been done, and the full length is now operational as expected.”
While initial reports sparked concern about communication lapses, the emerging facts suggest that Nigerian aviation authorities followed proper procedure in addressing the Abuja runway issue.
With the issuance of a global NOTAM, a local operator bulletin, and the timely completion of repair work, industry observers argue that the onus may have been on Lufthansa to adapt its operations accordingly.