- Title: Nigeria reopens Abuja airport after six-week closure
- Date: 18th April 2017
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ETHIOPIA PLANE ON ABUJA AIRPORT RUNWAY AFTER LANDING VARIOUS OF ETHIOPIA PLANE TAXIING AT ABUJA AIRPORT BEING SHOWERED WITH WATER FROM TWO FIRE FIGHTING TRUCKS VARIOUS OF AIRPORT OFFICIALS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS STANDING WATCHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA'S MINISTER OF STATE FOR AVIATION, HADI SIRIKA, SAYING: "Well the April 19th was the due date for us to conclude and open the airport based on our programme of work. And that is not saying that we cannot open earlier. We were able to deliver the project earlier than anticipated and then we can open it. There is nothing wrong with opening it a day earlier and here we are today." ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE PLANE TAXIING TO A STOP VARIOUS OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE PLANE PARKED AT AIRPORT VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS IN QUEUE FOR CUSTOMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDUSTRIALIST, EDWARD MSUMBA, SAYING: "Of course there was a bit of us flying in from Johannesburg and the system was showing that the flight was going to land in Kaduna. So they weren't sure. This is quite a big convenience for me so I'm quite pleased that the airport is open again." VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS STANDING WAITING TO COLLECT LUGGAGE AIRPORT SIGN READING (English): "EXIT, CUSTOMS, LOST LUGGAGE, BAGGAGE CLAIM" VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS STANDING AT CONVEYOR BELT WATCHING LUGGAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT, MOHAMMED YUSUF, SAYING: "The landing was very smooth, we are glad that the government has kept its promise and we hope the government will continue to do more projects like that within a given period of time." VARIOUS OF RUNWAY
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 16:22
- Keywords: Abuja Nigeria airport re-open closure runway
- Location: ABUJA, NIGERIA
- City: ABUJA, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016CXF8ZR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Nigeria reopened the capital's airport in Abuja on Tuesday (April 18), officials said, following a six-week closure for runway repairs that disrupted international air traffic to the country.
During the shutdown, authorities diverted flights to Kaduna, a provincial airport 160 km (100 miles) away, where carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa and South African Airways refused to fly on security grounds.
Ethiopian Airlines was the only foreign carrier to use Kaduna airport during the closure. Other international airlines continued to fly into Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos.
Abuja is the political nerve centre of Africa's most populous nation and a major business hub in the continent's biggest economy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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