Airport relocation: FAAN procures buses for foreign passengers movement

For the transportation of international travellers from the aircraft to the recently constructed Chinese terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has purchased opulent vehicles.

Over the weekend, information came to light that FAAN had given five buses for use in transporting passengers to their aircrafts.
The purchase of the bus less than two weeks after the minister’s visit, according to a typically reliable source who was not authorised to talk, demonstrated his commitment to refocusing the industry.

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“FAAN has introduced a new set of luxurious buses to transfer incoming passengers from the aircraft to the terminal in an effort to overcome the issues faced in the migration as a result of the loss of an aviobridge. This demonstrates the new Minister’s ongoing will to tackle the difficulties of sector reorientation head-on, the source said.

Festus Keyamo, the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, reportedly gave all foreign airlines until October 1, 2023, to relocate from the old terminal to the newly constructed Chinese terminal. However, the management of FAAN was forced to expedite the implementation of the minister’s directive in response to the recent fire outbreak that raised safety concerns and hampered passenger movement.
The minister said the newly constructed Chinese terminal had been underutilised since it couldn’t accommodate wide-bodied aircraft during his first visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos and tour of the facility.

In addition, he stated that all private hangars, including Dominion Hangar, EAN Hangar, and others, would be moved to make room for the expansion of the new terminal. The old international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos would be closed by October 1st, 2023 for renovations.

The old terminal has been the subject of the majority of complaints, he stated while giving the tour. For Nigerian visitors, that location is a disgrace. The hallway is uninviting, the lifts are broken, and there is no air conditioning. Despite having the new terminal, we cannot utilise it. It was not intended to accommodate large aircraft.

“I don’t know what happened, and I’ve been wondering why they don’t have aviobridges that lead to the big planes,” the passenger said. FAAN receives 60% of its revenue from the Lagos airport. In addition, Lagos International Airport serves as the nation’s entrance and initial impression.

The ministry will temporarily close down the old terminal and resolve all issues relating to the old terminal, such as concession agreements, the minister stated, giving both international airlines and local carriers until October 1 to relocate from the old terminal to the new one.

“You can see that the complaints from both foreigners and Nigerians entering Nigeria have been with the old terminal; the old terminal is an eyesore, and things there are not working, but we have this new terminal that the Chinese built,” I said to him.

The reason why they are not using this new terminal is being questioned by Nigerians. The issue has arisen simply because this international Gateway terminal was not built with a capacity for large aircraft; there are no avio-bridges that can connect large aircraft. Meanwhile, the Lagos airport generates 60% of FAAN’s revenue.

“We’re going to close the old terminal and take care of all the problems with the terminal renovation; there are problems with concessions and all of that right now, so I’ve suspended everything, including the Nigeria Air problem. I’ve ordered that everything be put on hold until I inform Mr. President of the situation with all of this hubbub. I owe it to Nigerians and the President to advise him honestly and appropriately. I am currently reviewing all the contracts and documents that were signed in order to do so.

However, he revealed that the ministry would purchase buses to transport foreign visitors to and from the new terminal until the problem with the new terminals was being fixed, which would allow wide-bodied international planes to fly.

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“At the moment, the temporary arrangements we have are that we must figure out a way to utilise the new facility for the convenience of Nigerians. In order to provide Nigerians with some level of comfort, we must conduct an emergency procurement to purchase large buses and transport people to locations where large jets may halt for both arrivals and departures.