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FAAN reopens Port Harcourt Airport to flight operations

Port Harcourt Airport The Turkish passenger plane after the emergency return

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced the reopening of flight operations at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) to the general public.

Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, of the FAAN, said on Sunday in Lagos that the airport was on Saturday night closed due to the fire incident.

Port Harcourt Airport The Turkish passenger plane after the emergency return
The Turkish passenger plane after the emergency return

FAAN had on Saturday night announced the temporary closure of Port Harcourt International Airport runway following a bush fire incident close to the area.

Yakubu said the airport was reopened less than 24 hours after it was closed for proper investigation on the incident.

She explained that the reopening followed a careful evaluation and mitigation of the impact of the bush fire earlier reported around the airport.

Yakubu further stated that the incident had caused the dissipation of smokes around the air side.

She, however, said FAAN remained committed to its core values of safety, security and comfort of its passengers and airport users.

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The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has also started investigation into an incident involving an A330-300 aircraft, with registration number TC-LOL, operated by the Turkish Airlines.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, AIB, Mr Tunji Oketunbi, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday.

The statement noted that the bureau was notified that at about 3:30 a.m. local time, on Dec. 31 2019, the aircraft was enroute Port Harcourt from Istanbul, Turkey, with 295 passengers and 11 crew members on board.

According to the statement, the aircraft suffered a burst tyre on landing on runway 21 of the Port Harcourt International airport; veered off the runway and managed to taxi to the new international terminal.

It confirmed that all the occupants disembarked with no injury.

The statement noted that the bureau was open to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence or information that might assist in its investigation.

“The Bureau will like to call on the press and the public to respect the privacy of the people involve and not to preempt the cause of the incident,” it said.

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Ihesiulo Grace

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