Lagos Airport Recorded 96,621 Aircraft Movements In 2019

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos recorded 96,621 aircraft movements last year, figures obtained from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have shown.

It also handled 187.49 million cargo and 7.319 million passengers within the one-year review period.

The 2019 aircraft movement report showed that the performance was 5.46 per cent higher than the 91,621 movements recorded in 2018.

The Manager, South-West Airports, FAAN, Mrs Victoria Shina-Aba, who gave the figures, said the MMIA witnessed increased growth in passenger, cargo and aircraft movement in 2019.

Cargo performance by the airport in 2019 was 18.95 per cent higher than the 157.62 million recorded in 2018.

Compared with passenger movement of 6.862 million in 2018, the airport recorded a growth of 6.7 per cent in 2019.

Shina-Aba said the airport had continued to record tremendous improvement with the ongoing construction work.

She said the security issues witnessed last year were also being addressed by the Federal Government.

She explained that the issues would remain paramount and all shortcomings studied with a view to addressing them.

“Lessons have been learned from last year’s security challenges and measures are being taken to address the lapses,” she said.

Shina-Aba said in the interim, measures had been put in place to address some of the challenges.

She stated that the measures included increase in patrol on airside with military men drafted to areas where intruders were using to gain entry into the airport.

She added that the height of the perimeter fence had been raised with more blocks and spikes on them.

“The airport fence has become low due to the ongoing road construction along the Agege Motor Road. So, what we have done is to put additional blocks and spikes on them to increase the height,” Shina-Aba said.

Speaking on the new terminal building under construction, she said it would help to provide seamless passenger facilitation when completed.

She also stated that the old terminal would be refurbished to complement the new one.