Flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were briefly halted on Thursday after a private jet suffered a tyre burst while landing, prompting an immediate temporary closure of the runway.
The incident, which occurred at about 2:00 pm, caused short-lived disruptions as airport authorities worked swiftly to clear the affected aircraft from the runway.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed that the aircraft was safely removed and that normal operations had resumed.
“I was informed that a private aircraft experienced a tyre burst on landing. But it has been cleared off the runway and operations are back to normal,” he stated.
Thursday’s disruption comes months after a similar temporary closure during scheduled runway maintenance that caused widespread delays. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the cause of the tyre burst or whether an investigation will be initiated.
A similar incident occurred on November 12, 2023, when an Aero Contractors aircraft had its nose wheel stuck in a grass verge after landing, rendering part of the runway unusable.
Normal services resumed soon after, and no casualties were reported in Thursday’s incident.
