FAAN Expands MMIA Terminal

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has expanded the Muritala Muhammed International Airport terminal by 25 per cent.

Previously, it said there had been some difficulty in terms of adequate space for both incoming and outgoing travelers at the airport.

The General Manager, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said on Tuesday that the need to ease the difficulties being encountered by the passengers informed the decision to expand the terminal.

He said specifically the ‘D’ and ‘E’ fingers of the terminal were expanded to create more space for the both inbound and outbound passengers.

He explained that with the airport increasingly becoming over-stretched, there was a need to upgrade and expand the existing facility to enable it to cope with the pressure.

According to him, it is the aim of the Federal Government to improve the facility at the MMIA and make it a hub for the West African sub-region.

He noted that the construction work on a new terminal at the MMIA was ongoing as part of efforts to revamp the over 40-year old international airport into a world-class facility.

He said new terminal, which is located a few metres away from the international airport, had reached 50 per cent construction level and would be linked to the airport.

Dati said, “It will not only raise the bar for other upcoming airports in West Africa, but also offer passengers a whole new travel experience.

“The new ultra-modern terminal currently taking shape at the MMIA is clearly in line with the Federal Government’s agenda to transform the aviation sector by making the MMIA a regional hub.”

He said that the project was being executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, adding it was being financed through a special loan agreement between the government and the China Exam Bank.

According to him, efforts have been put in place to ensure that the project is completed as soon as possible.

He said, “The new terminal will on delivery offer a new experience to travellers with the latest safety and security installations, conveyor belts and body scanners.

“And as a result of the ongoing construction and space constraint within the airport, some services such as the car park have been relocated some distance away from the airport terminal.”

“The present car park is going to be changed to a temporary car park, there may be a little inconvenience once in a while which is common with changes, but the fact is that we have expanded the terminal and we are trying to ensure that we make positive changes to the airport which has been neglected for many years.”

Dati said the inconveniences should be considered by passengers as sacrifice for a new facility that could be benchmarked with the best in the world.