Buhari Returns, Arrival Causes Flight Delay at Abuja Airport

By Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

The arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari into the country on Sunday from London where he was treated for ear infection caused several local flights’ delay at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The delay, THISDAY learnt, was caused by the temporary closure of the airspace by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which grounded local flights from the airport.

A senior staff member of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who spoke under anonymity at the airport, said the president touched down at the international wing of the airport on a Lufthansa commercial plane with registration number: LH 563, at about 6.10pm.

The flight into the country, the source said, was initially billed for 5.20pm, as stated in the manifesto.

On hand to receive him,was the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and a retinue of close presidency officials and personal aides.

Before his arrival, the road linking the airport from the expressway was closed to traffic with heavily armed military and security personnel positioned at strategic positions in and around the airport.

While local flights were not grounded, the local flights scheduled for 5.40pm had a delay of almost an hour because passengers could not access the airport because of the road closure.

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