MM airport records upsurge in passenger, aircraft movements in 2019

A total of 7.319,118 million passengers passed through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) Ikeja in 2019 while cargo movement was 187,494.338. 71kg during the period.

In 2018, the same airport recorded a total of 6.862, 125 million passengers with a percentage increase of 6.66 while aircraft movement increased by 5.20 per cent with 91, 621 in 2018 to 96,373 in 2019

The manager South West Airports of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN,) Mrs Victoria Shin Aba who disclosed this to Daily Times in her office at the MMIA Ikeja said the airport has continued to record tremendous improvement with ongoing constructions work.

Mrs Shin Aba explained that apart from the security issues witnessed last year which were being addressed by the government, safety issues will continue to be given priority adding, that all shortcomings were being studied with a view to adjusting them.

She explained that lessons had been learned from last years security challenges saying, that measures taken to address lapses include an increase in patrol on airside with military men being drafted to areas where intruders were using and raising of the height of the fence.

On the new terminal building under construction, the MMA Manager explained that the terminal when operational will provide seamlessly passenger facilitation assuring that a total refurbishment of the over 40 years old MMA terminals will then commence.

Shin Aba noted that the old terminal was overstretched, saying that it was built to accommodate 2m passengers but ended up taking 7m “a total refurbishment will be carried out at the old terminal because it is over 40 years old and its structure does not conform with the security in ground today”.