By Obasola Olatunde
Flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, were on Thursday briefly disrupted following a tyre burst involving a private jet on landing, causing a temporary closure of the airport’s main runway.
The incident, which occurred around 2:00 p.m., led to a momentary suspension of both incoming and outgoing flights as emergency officials moved in to clear the affected aircraft from the runway to ensure the safety of other flight operations.
Confirming the development, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Michael Achimugu, said normal flight activities resumed shortly after the aircraft was removed.
“I was informed that a private aircraft experienced a tyre burst on landing. But it has been cleared off the runway and operations are back to normal,” Achimugu said.
Although details about the private jet, including its registration number and ownership, were not immediately disclosed, airport sources confirmed that no passenger or crew member sustained any injury during the incident.
The temporary shutdown reportedly caused minor delays for a number of domestic and international flights scheduled for Thursday afternoon, with some aircraft placed on holding patterns before the runway was declared safe for use.
Thursday’s disruption adds to a series of similar incidents that have occurred at the nation’s capital airport in recent years, raising concerns about runway management and operational safety.
In December 2024, a cargo aircraft operated by Allied Air, with registration 5N-JRT, skidded off Runway 22 during landing, forcing an emergency closure that lasted several hours before the aircraft was evacuated.
Likewise, in November 2023, an Aero Contractors flight (registration 5N-BYQ) got stuck on a grass verge while attempting to exit the runway, rendering part of the tarmac unusable and prompting another temporary shutdown.
Industry observers say these recurrent incidents underscore the need for consistent maintenance of Nigeria’s major runways and stricter compliance with aviation safety protocols.
An official at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the agency’s safety team swiftly intervened to restore operations.
“It was a routine emergency response. Once the aircraft was cleared and the surface inspected, the runway was reopened. There was no damage to the infrastructure,” the official explained.
As at press time, normal operations had fully resumed at the Abuja airport, with no further delays reported.