Ethiopian Airline’s Airbus 350 plane was the first aircraft to land at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja after the airport opened for use 24 hours ahead of schedule.
According to The Guardian, the plane touched down at the airport at 12.10p.m. to mark the reopening of the facility after repair works were carried out on its ‘ dilapidated’ runway for six weeks. Domestic and international flights will be diverted to Kaduna, 170 kilometres away.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State had also requested that the airline maintained its Kaduna operation even after the reopening of Abuja airport.
Ethiopian Airline launched its first A350-900 Airbus on the London Heathrow route August last year. It has three of the plane in its fleet and awaits the delivery of nine more before 2019.
Its Traffic and Sales Manager, Firiehiwot Mekonnen said the aircraft plied the Abuja route on its first day of operation from Addis Ababa and that it would remain on Abuja route.