The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced the impending closure of the 3.9km Runway 18R/36L at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for necessary rehabilitation work.
OsunDailyNG reports that this closure is set to take place on Monday and Tuesday, occurring merely two weeks after the runway was reopened following an extensive maintenance period lasting nearly 11 months.
The information was communicated in a memo dated February 28, 2025, from FAAN’s Head of Operations, Mrs. J.U. Nwosu, directed to the Airport Manager (AM)/Regional General Manager (RGM) for the Southwest Region, under the subject “Total Closure of Runway 18R/36L.”
It reads, “This is to bring to your notice the closure of runway 18R/36L due to the rehabilitation work (asphalt phase) at A2 Taxiway-link of the runway.
“It is considered necessary to close the runway due to the protruding construction equipment which may likely become a potential hazard to any landing and departing aircraft.”
From the announcement, the closure is scheduled to occur on March 3 and 4, 2025.
FAAN has indicated that the alternative runway 18L/36R will be operational during this time.
Furthermore, all technical departments whose operations may be impacted by the closure are urged to conduct regular inspections of their facilities to ensure that all necessary measures are in place. This includes, but is not limited to, grass management, enhanced security, and continuous 24-hour surveillance.
“It is pertinent to know that all the measures associated to total runway closure will be applied; hence, adequate facility protection is necessary,” it added.
It could be recalled that in March 2023, FAAN temporarily closed the international runway 18R/36L at Lagos Airport for maintenance, with an initial timeline of eight weeks for the work to be completed.
This closure led to air traffic and airline operations disruptions, as the repairs took longer than anticipated.
During this time, both international and domestic airlines utilized runway 18L/36R, which is primarily intended for domestic flights and is shorter in length.
Fortunately, Links 2 and 3 of the taxiway have now been made operational, providing international airlines with an alternative route in addition to Runway 18L/36R.
The reopened runway 18R/36L measures 3,900 meters (12,794 feet) in length and 60 meters (197 feet) in width.
