Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said on Saturday it closed Port-Harcourt International Airport following bush fire.
In an updated statement, FAAN said it had reopened the airport after a careful examination.
“Following a careful evaluation and mitigation of the impact of the bush fire earlier reported around the Port Harcourt International Airport and the dissipation of smokes around the airside, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that the airport has now been re-opened to operations.
Normal flight activities has therefore re-commenced at the airport,” FAAN said.
In an earlier statement, FAAN had said: “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform airlines, passengers and the general public that a bush fire incident has occurred near the active area of the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa,” FAAN said.
“Consequently, the Authority has temporarily closed the runway of the airport to operations as part of safety precautions.
“A joint team from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency is presently evaluating the situation with a view to ensuring that the airside is cleared of smoke and restoration of normalcy at the airport,” FAAN added.
