The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced the closure of some sections of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos State. FAAN made the disclosure in a press release obtained by Nairametrics on Friday.
According to FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, the MMA’s Apron Gate 1 and some sections of Taxiway F would be closed to human and vehicular traffic for six weeks.
Earlier development – The Federal Government of Nigeria has earlier revealed plans to demolish the MMIA in Lagos, in order to reconstruct it. The Minister disclosed that the reconstruction of MMIA has become important due to the poor state of the terminal, which has outlived its usefulness.
According to Sirika, 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.
It was also revealed that the reconstruction would gulp N14 billion in order to give the busy Airport a befitting facelift. MMA records the highest traffic of travellers in Nigeria so far in the first quarter of 2019.
Reason for closure: FAAN explained that the reason for the closure of MMA is to enable the Chinese contractor (China Civil Construction Company) handling the construction of the new terminal to link the proposed apron which is under construction to the existing one.
“To maintain orderliness and ensure the safety of operators while the project would last, the Authority has developed and redeployed specific procedures for vehicular movements and officers of the Aviation Security department have been mobilized to ensure compliance.
“The authority will like to solicit the understanding and cooperation of all concerned towards ensuring a safe airside for aircraft movement and personnel safety during the construction.”
#Pressrelease
FAAN TO CLOSE MMIA APRON GATE 1 FOR 6 WEEKS. pic.twitter.com/ZjaxXYuGyX— Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (@FAAN_Official) June 7, 2019
Bottom line – The closure of MMA will not affect Airline operations, as plans have been reportedly perfected to ensure smooth running to activities at MMA Airport. Hence, Airlines, airport users and the general public are not expected to worry following the temporary closure.
