By James Ogunnaike

ABEOKUTA — THE Ogun State government, yesterday, said the Gateway International Airport has been built and equipped to compete with any airport of its type and category around the world, making it one of the best-equipped in Nigeria.

The Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Mr Kayode Akinmade, in a statement, stated that the airport has met all necessary standards.

He noted that the state government has installed state-of-the-art lighting systems ahead of the official inauguration of scheduled local and international flights.

Akinmade said: “Part of the systems installed includes a Category I (CAT I) approach lighting system, which guides pilots during inclement weather conditions on final approach to landing; runway elevated end lights that inform the pilots of their proximity to the end of the runway; and displaced threshold lights that provide visual guidance to the displaced threshold of a runway, indicating the point before which the runway is not structurally designed for landing.

“Also installed at the airport are runway edge lights that provide lateral visual cues for pilots during takeoff and landing, and Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI), which is a row of coloured lights that, when properly aligned, visually provide glide path information to pilots during approach, helping them maintain the correct rate of descent to the runway touchdown point.

“Additionally, several top-notch VIP lounges and other aesthetic infrastructure have been put in place to provide high-quality rest areas with specifically designed spaces for business travellers to continue their work and hold meetings while waiting for their flight.

“Previously, the Ogun State government had listed the airport’s features to include a 3.4-kilometre runway, making it a Class E airport that can accommodate large aircraft such as the Boeing 777, 747, and Airbus A380.”