...Editors stranded as FAAN shuts Ibadan airport

Category: News Published on Sunday, 03 March 2013 02:49 Written by Ben Atonko, Abuja & Chris Agabi, Lagos Hits: 621

Nigerian editors who converged on Ibadan, Oyo State capital for their biennial conference as well as other travellers could not leave the expansive and brown rusty roof tops city yesterday because the air facility there was closed to traffic.

Renowned journalists like Mohammed Haruna, publisher of the now rested Citizen Magazine and columnist with the Daily Trust; Garba Shehu, former president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and media aide to former vice president Atiku Abubakar were at the Ibadan Airport but could not fly.
Notable editors like Tukur Abdulrahman, Ahmed Shekarau and Garba Deen Muhammad were also left stranded at the airport.
Sunday Trust gathered that a Caverton helicopter had a flat tire at the point of landing so the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) shut the airport in order to evacuate the faulty helicopter and unravel the cause of the incident.
FAAN General Manager, Public Affairs Mr Yakubu Dati told our correspondent on phone that the runway had to be closed for safety.
Ahmed Shekarau, who wanted to return to Abuja, said he waited long at the airport without information on what transpired.
He was to catch an Arik Air flight by 3:15pm but neither Arik Air nor FAAN informed him that the airport had gone under and the flight cancelled.
While some of the travellers went to Lagos to seek alternative flights, some stayed back in the ancient city to pass the night and await flights today.
FAAN regretted inconveniences caused travellers saying the safety of passengers cannot be compromised.  The closed runway affected Arik Air which had to cancel its flight to Ibadan.