As part of its efforts to improve infrastructure and service delivery at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that is a service organization statutorily charged to manage all commercial airports in the West African country, has announced plans to expand the Zulu wing.
The exercise is expected to commence at any moment, according to Henrietta Yakubu, FAAN’s spokesperson.
Expected interruptions during the course of the implementation of the project
Mrs. Yakubu said that the project will only hamper passenger facilitation minimally during its implementation phase because normal passenger check-in at the terminal will continue as usual.
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“However,” she said, “the Protocol and VIP lounge at the terminal, where the major construction works are set to be carried out, will be affected the most because the facilities will have to be relocated temporarily till the end of the project.”
“We are already making arrangements for temporary spaces to be used as protocol and VIP lounges, while the expansion project is being executed,” concluded the FAAN’s spokesperson.
She also appealed to passengers and other airport users to be patient and bear with the authority for any inconvenience that they may experience during the duration of the project, and promised to keep the public in the loop when necessary regarding the project developments.
Expectations for the project
When the expansion project is completed, the GAT will have been enhanced in terms of capacity, aesthetics, and passenger comfort, as the expected and expanded new lounges, will be twice what is presently on the ground.
What we reported in May 2019
Murtala Muhammed International Airport to undergo US $38m rehabilitation
The Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed plans to invest US $38m in rehabilitation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos terminal. Minister of State for Aviation, Hadii Sirika, disclosed the report at the 2019 Stakeholders’ Forum.
The Minister explained that the airport needed a revamp due to its poor state which has outlived its usefulness. He further noted that the terminal was built to handle 300,000 at inception but the passengers it handles have grown to 8 million in the past three years.
“We require to spend US $38m as palliative on the refurbishment of the international terminal in Lagos. This airport was built in 1979 and intended to carry just 200,000 passengers annually, but it now does over eight million yearly. With the continuous over-used of its facilities, the amenities will not last for long,” said the minister.
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Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Mr. Sirika said that he government would need to close down the terminal, but pointed out this would not happen until the ongoing construction of the second international terminal was concluded.
The airport will be featured with modern facility and due to the current number of usage, a permanent plumber will be deplored for the toilet facilities. Ongoing construction of the second international terminal would also be completed before the end of the year. The terminal, which is constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), commenced in 2013 with a promise that it would be completed in 20 months.
“We want the new terminal to come on stream before we commence any work on the old terminal. As it is, we can’t close it totally because it is the only international terminal we have in the state, but a part of it would be shut once the new terminal come onboard,” assured Mr. Hadii Sirika.
