In many jurisdictions, airport runways are designed to last for decades and are maintained regularly without totally shutting down the entire facility.

However, this standard has eluded the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

For 15 years, it has been plagued by persistent runway deterioration, which has led to repeated closures and emergency repairs.

The issue has also raised safety concerns for air travellers and aviation stakeholders alike. Despite many rehabilitation efforts by the federal government costing billions of naira, the runway has continued to fail, raising questions about the quality of construction that was carried out ab initio.

Due to the frequency of maintenance, experts say there are underlying challenges that have not been properly addressed.

The airport, which is the only international gateway in the South-East, serves millions of passengers from Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Abia, Benue and parts of the South-South region.

Yet, the failure of its runway has become a recurring problem, constantly disrupting flight operations and causing losses and inconvenience for aviation companies.

Historical background

The problems with the runway date back to before 2010 when pictures of a waterlogged and cracked tarmac went viral. The situation was really dire at the time. Airlines were worried and raised the alarm over safety concerns which forced the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to shut down the runway in February 2010 for the first phase of renovations.

The airport was re-opened on December 16, 2010 but the repairs were incomplete and further work continued in phases. But by August 2019, the condition of the runway had worsened, with deep craters and potholes reappearing at various segments. FAAN then ordered a total shutdown for more rehabilitation and this lasted 370 days. In August 2020, the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced that the project had been completed and on the day he flagged off the re-opening, he revealed that N10 billion was spent on the repairs and assured the public that periodic maintenance would be carried out to prevent future breakdowns. The project was executed by PW Nigeria Limited, a company with over 40 decades experience in runway construction.

Yet, despite the billions pumped into the project and the assurances by the federal government, the problem with the runway persisted. Just five years later, on April 18, 2025, FAAN announced another emergency closure due to a ?sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway.? The runway was officially closed on April 22, 2025, and was scheduled to reopen on May 6, 2025. However, it was re-opened on April 28, 2025, following the completion of the repairs. Yet, aviation experts say the fundamental issues have not been resolved.

Why the runway keep failing

Industry experts who spoke to Daily Sun said the frequent failure of the runway is due to poor construction, inadequate maintenance and the state?s geological conditions.

Kayode Ojo, an instructor with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and an expert meteorologist and flight dispatcher, told Daily Sun that Enugu?s soil has swelling characteristics and that ?the area is underlain by Cretaceous rocks, whose expansion and contraction during extreme weather conditions contribute to the cracks on the runway surface.??

He said: ?The soil characteristics of Enugu are stiff and they swell. This makes the runway to form cracks that eventually wear off with time as aircraft continue to use both the runway and movement area. The topography and the geological characteristics of the soil is affecting it. The top soil was supposed to be removed and filled with gravel before asphalt was put on top during the construction of the runway.?

An Air Traffic Controller at Enugu Airport, Patrick Ndupu, blamed the frequent runway failures on substandard construction and low quality.

He told Daily Sun that though topography was initially an issue and that drainage blockages used to cause flooding, he said that these issues have been addressed.

Speaking on the solution, he warned that if the runway is not frequently maintained, the potholes will expand and cover the entire runway. ?The present potholes developed at the touchdown zone where aircraft make initial impact. The only thing that can prevent a recurrence is good maintenance which Nigeria lacks. I don?t think there is any magic or rocket science that is needed. What it needs is good maintenance that would stand the test of time. If that is not done, the problem will linger. The runway was resurfaced in 2010 and the construction company was given lots of advice on how to go about it which they didn?t adhere to. The company that did the construction was PW,? he said.

Another Air Traffic Controller and operations manager at Enugu Airport, Nicholas Onyishi, also blamed poor construction quality for the failure of the runway.

He told Daily Sun that regardless of topography or soil texture, a competent construction company ?would have tested the soil and known what to do.?

He said: ?The frequent breakdown of the airport is due to bad construction because it was constructed in 2010 and shortly after, it started breaking down again. So, it was re-awarded and reconstructed in 2019 by the same company.?

After the most recent closure in April, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also acknowledged the persistent issue of part of the runway which was always waterlogged. He said it was ?not properly constructed to take care of the problem, which led to constant cracks and potholes.?

FAAN officials are advocating that the government should adopt the model used for the Abuja airport, which involves ?heavy concrete groundwork and then use asphalt on top.? They say this method would be the best option because of the defects of the current construction and the need for a stronger base that can withstand the stress of repeated aircraft landings.

The consensus of the experts? consensus points to different factors which are the swelling nature of the Enugu soil, which becomes further compromised by the impact of landing aircraft, poor drainage and waterlogging, leading to water retention that undermines the runway?s structural integrity; and the initial poor construction that failed to take the environmental challenges into account.

Timeline of breakdown, repairs

Prior to 2010: The airport?s facilities, including the runway, had deteriorated. Pictures of a waterlogged runway were common, with airlines raising safety alarms.

February 10, 2010: The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) closed the airport for the first phase of major renovation and expansion works.

December 16, 2010: The airport was reopened, though the second and third phases of construction work were still ongoing.

August 24, 2019: The runway was completely shut down for total rehabilitation, following persistent issues with its condition, including cracks and potholes, largely attributed to a waterlogged portion that was not properly addressed in previous repairs.

August 2020: After 370 days of rehabilitation, the runway was reopened.

April 18, 2025: FAAN announced that due to a ?sudden and significant rupture in the asphalt surface at a critical section of the runway,? the runway would be shut down for emergency repairs.

April 22, 2025: The runway was officially closed for emergency repairs. The work was initially scheduled to conclude by May 6, 2025.

April 28, 2025: The airport was reopened for flight operations, earlier than the initially announced May 6, 2025, date, following the completion of emergency runway repairs. (Daily Sun)

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