Flights at Kaduna airport restart months after suspension due to insecurity

The airport’s precinct had been besieged by bandits, causing a halt to flying activity.

Domestic flight operations at the Kaduna International Airport have resumed after being suspended by commercial airlines for more than five months due to security and other logistical challenges.

A commercial passenger plane from Lagos made a precise 5:10 p.m. landing at the airport behind heavy security, signalling the restart of airline operations along the route.

Adamu Sheikh, the manager of Kaduna International Airport, proclaimed the airport secure and safe for both travellers and airline operations, adamant that bandit attacks had never forced the closure of the airport.

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In March 2022, bandits broke into the airport’s perimeter, prompting the suspension of flying operations.

Despite continuing to run along the Kaduna Airport route after the attack, Azman Air abruptly stopped operating there around five months ago, forcing passengers on the Lagos-Kaduna route to either land in Kano or Abuja and then drive to Kaduna.

But on Monday, a commercial passenger flight from Lagos touched down at the airport, much to the joy of airport staff and visitors who urged the government to keep the airport secure and operational.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) predicts that more airlines will start using the Kaduna Airport once again.

The airport managers also provided passengers and airline operators with reassurances that sufficient security measures had been implemented to guarantee their safety.