The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has commenced the relocation of international airlines to the new international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
The relocation is coming barely a week after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo gave the directive to the management of FAAN to ensure the relocation of foreign airlines from the old terminal to the new aerodrome, which was commissioned on March 22, 2022, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement by Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua, the Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, FAAN, on Thursday evening, said that the agency had redirected the processing of passengers through the new international terminal, effective immediately.
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Yakubu-Funtua emphasised that the expedited relocation to the new international terminal was deemed necessary due to the unfortunate fire incident that occurred at the international terminal on Wednesday.
The statement added: “The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Kayamo during his maiden visit to Lagos airport had directed FAAN to relocate airlines to the new international terminal for the shutdown of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal One by October 1, 2023, with a view to improving passenger experience and for the total overhaul of the terminal.
“We intend to make this movement as seamless as possible, but appeal to all travellers to please be at the airport early enough to complete their check-in formalities on time in order not to miss their flight.”
Keyamo had given FAAN till October 1, 2023, to relocate all flight operations to the new international terminal and vacate the old terminal for rehabilitation.
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Keyamo, who appreciated the state-of-the-art facilities at the new terminal, which was part of the terminals built with Chinese loans with counterpart funding from the Federal Government, regretted that the terminal was grossly underutilised and that the old terminal had become decrepit, smelly, outmoded and therefore, needed urgent rehabilitation.
He had said: “We should move and use the new terminal, that is all I have said. The new terminal is underutilised, we spent a lot of money building it and we have to use it. The old terminal is a total eye sore.
“Since I came into office, I have heard complaints upon complaints. The central air condition is not working, the carousels are not working, they break down quite often and the approach into the airport is smelly, it is totally unwelcoming to people coming into Nigeria and that is the gateway to Nigeria.
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“So, I have given a directive that we should completely shut it down and use the new terminal that can also take the traffic. Now what was the problem? The problem with the new terminal was that they did not take into consideration the big airplanes that would come in and anchor with the avio-bridges that would take passengers on arrival.
The Minister further explained that the reason why the old terminal should be vacated was to create an opportunity for the complete rehabilitation of the facility, which has served Nigeria since 1979 when it was inaugurated for international service.