Bi-Courtney Shows Capacity to Conduct Regional Operations at MMA2

Chinedu Eze

Murtala Muhammed International Airport Domestic Terminal, known as MMA2, which is unarguably, the best airport facility in Nigeria, has shown that it has the capacity to efficiently conduct regional operations for passengers wishing to travel to West African destinations.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd (BASL), the builder and operator of the terminal, restructured the facility on a cue from the federal government, indicating that regional flight service would emanate from the terminal but this was aborted after the facilities were fully provided for the service.

BASL while taking journalists on the facility tour of the terminal on Wednesday, insisted it has the facilities required for regional flight operations, disclosing that it expended over N600 million to have state-of-the-art upgrade of the regional facilities at the terminal.

Head of operations, BASL, Blessing Ewahwho, who disclosed this, said all the agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), have assessed and approved the facilities after all necessary requirements were met, wondering why operations were yet to commence.

“We are actually ready, the terminal is ready, and gates 5 and 6 have been dedicated for regional flights. We have invested over N600 million in the facilities for this operation and we have not recouped one naira, even though it all started in 2014,” he said.

The Ministerial Committee on Airport Security in 2016, certified the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, fit for the commencement of regional operations.

In April 2023, Chairman of BASL, Dr Wale Babalakin, after inaugurating ‘The Art Experience’ (Art Gallery) in MMA2, had stated that despite the terminal being granted approval by the federal government, there were still delays in starting regional operations from the MMA2.

“I am alarmed that we have not commenced regional operations because we went through the entire process, we were certified but we have not been allowed to take off.I am shocked because the MMA2 terminal was built to provide services for both regional and domestic passengers, but it is presently underutilised.

“We had already spent several millions of naira to acquire the state-of-the-art facilities in preparation for regional flight operations, but the inconsistency in government policy despite the approval, had prevented it from using the facilities.” Ewahwho had earlier said.