NCAA delays request to reopen Ibadan airport

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The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has refused to reopen the Ibadan airport despite pleas from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria calling for the reopening of the aerodrome, after confirming that, by the level of work done at the airport, flight operations can commence, The PUNCH reports.

In February, the NCAA announced that the Ibadan airport would be shut down for six months to enable the commencement of maintenance and upgrade works. Upon the announcement, the airport was shut down, and the state government commenced rehabilitation work on the aerodrome to meet international standards.

The PUNCH gathered that upgrade works were not the only reason for the closure order, but also gaps discovered by the regulators.

In September, the Oyo State Government held an official flag-off of a N41bn upgrade of the airport, which was named Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, in a major push for its international status.

The PUNCH, however, gathered that on September 22, the NCAA wrote to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria after an inspection exercise of the airport, curating a list of gaps noticed by the authority at the aerodrome.

In response, FAAN, in a letter dated November 18 and obtained by our correspondent, appealed to the NCAA to reopen the airport after some of the gaps raised in its earlier complaint letter had been closed.

The letter, referenced FAAN/HQ/MD/PA/VOL.37/7, with the heading: ‘‘Submission of corrective action plans (caps) on findings of NCAA inspection of Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan and request for recertification of the airport for scheduled flight operation,’ appealed to the regulator for the immediate reopening of the airport, adding that the working hours at the airport would be reduced until all the complaints raised by the NCAA are fully rectified.

The FAAN letter said, “The purpose of this letter is to refer to the inspection conducted by the NCAA team on 11–12 September 2025, of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, and subsequent findings communicated to us. While appreciating the effort of the NCAA team, we are pleased to submit the Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), as attached.

“The Authority is further pleased to inform the Director General that a significant number of the findings highlighted in the NCAA report have been closed, while efforts are ongoing to address the remaining ones. With the initiatives deployed, we are confident that with the implementation of the CAPs, Ibadan Airport will continue to operate efficiently and safely.”

While speaking of measures to ensure smooth resumption of flight operations, FAAN further stated that, “In further demonstrating the progress made in the implementation of the Corrective Action Plans, we wish to request for the recapsing of the airport for the resumption of scheduled flight operations, under the Visual Flight Rules (VFR), on the following operational conditions: The daily flight operations hours have been limited to 07:00hrs – 17:00hrs only.

“Chief operations officer/work hours are extended so the airfield will be reopened by 18:00hrs – 20:00hrs of the following day. This measure is intended to mitigate construction-related risks to flight operations. The threshold of Runway 04 will be displaced by 300 meters to establish a safe distinction between the Runway End Safety Area, meteor work site, and flight operations.”

The Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, reassured the NCAA DG, Capt Chris Najomo, of continuous adherence to regulatory requirements in aerodrome work, as well as coordinating with the project team to achieve the timely completion of the airport upgrade project. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”

When contacted, the spokesperson of the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, said he would have to speak with the Director of Aerodromes to have proper knowledge of the issue at hand before getting back to our correspondent.

“Although what I can say is, the NCAA under Capt Chris Najomo will not give anything to chances, adding that as far as all the gaps pinpointed are yet to be taken care of, I doubt the NCAA will give its nod, but I will get back to you much later after I must have contacted the Director of Airworthiness and Director of Aerodromes.”

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