Passenger Throughput and Need for Adequate Airport Infrastructure

Chinedu Eze writes that while MMA2 is grossly underutilised due to government policy, other terminals lack basic infrastructure despite high passenger throughput

There has been progressive increase in the number of passengers that use Nigeria’s airports both for domestic and for international flight operations.

For many years, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which controls about 26 airports in the country, has not expanded its terminal facilities at the busy airports to accommodate the upsurge of passengers, but there has been rapid passenger growth, from over 12 million in 2009 to over 16 million in 2022.

According to records available at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigeria has recorded steady growth in its passenger movement both for domestic and international travels.

In 2009, the airports recorded a total of 12, 526, 464 passengers; in 2010, 13, 939, 418; in 2011, it added over a million to 14, 760, 276 and in 2012, it was 14, 113, 077. In 2013, the airports recorded 14, 632, 788 passengers; in 2014, it went up to 15, 335, 772; in 2015, it was 15, 222, 187 and in 2016 it went a little down to 14, 564, 722, when the country felt President Buhari’s economic crunch. It went further down to 13, 394, 945 in 2017 and rose a little to 13, 706, 347 in 2018. But despite the economic challenges, air travel recorded increased passenger throughput in 2019 with 15, 366, 734 passengers.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, when flight operations resumed in September, Nigeria recorded only 9, 426, 297 for the few months airlines operated. In 2021, it rose again to 15, 765, 237 and in 2022, it went up again to 16, 172, 433. There is also projection that when the records of 2023 passenger throughput would become available it would increase to over 17 million.

But while the number of people who travel by air is increasing, the airport facilities are not expanding to meet the passenger surge.

MMA2

Since it opened for passenger processing in 2007, the Murtala Muhammed Domestic Terminal 2 (MMA2) has been adjudged the best terminal in Nigeria. In fact, it was the best terminal in West Africa for several years because of its state-of-the-art facilities and easy passenger facilitation.

Head of Communications, Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa, told THISDAY on Wednesday that MMA2 has remained unbeatable since it was established in 2007, noting that it operates for 24 hours and that power supply is steady because of the automated system it has. So, it is the only terminal one does not notice the transition of one power supply to another.

“And they have a lot of side attractions. They are always innovating; always introducing new stuff. Recently they opened a new lounge, which is very good and they provide premium service there for those who want to enjoy good comfort before they hope in for their flights. You just board your flight from there. So, MMA2 has not been given the credit it deserves and that is a very good example of what the private sector investment in aviation can be,” Ezenwa said.

In the last six years the terminal has processed the highest number of domestic passengers more than any other terminal in Nigeria, despite the fact that the Lagos airport has another terminal facility for domestic passengers.

In 2018, MMA2 processed over two million passengers; in 2019, over 2.5 million passengers. The number went down to 1.6 in 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdown. It picked up and rose to 2.6 million passengers in 2021; 2.2 million in 2022 and increased to over 2.3 million in 2023.

In terms of passenger movement, MMA2 records 50 departures and 50 arrivals daily, except in 2019 when it recorded about 60 departures and 60 arrivals.

Controversy over Regional Service

As the terminal with adequate and state of the art facilities, it has been expected that the Ministry of Aviation and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)  should have designated the terminal for the regional operations, but since the management of the airport, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) upgraded the terminal for both domestic and regional operations, government has refused to give its nod for the facility to maximise its capacity by processing passengers for the two services.

THISDAY learnt the terminal has six avio-bridges with one dedicated to regional operations, and it has dedicated restrooms for male and female passengers for arrivals. The terminal made adequate provision for government agencies, including Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, Port Health and NDLEA. Offices and screening points were provided for these agencies.

THISDAY learnt that one of the challenges Nigerian airlines that operate regional service face is the movement of the aircraft from domestic to the international terminal, the fuel burn and the provision of other logistics cost the airlines a lot. This most often lead to flight delays and according to FAAN insider, the priority of FAAN workers at the airport is on foreign airlines on the long haul. This further causes delay for the domestic airlines. All these will be eliminated if they are allowed to use MMA2.

During the Ibom Air inaugural flight to Accra late last year, airport official at Katoka International Airport, Accra, told THISDAY that if African World Airlines (AWA), which has the airport as its base, operates domestic service, it would just park at the same spot to board Accra-Lagos passengers. This saves the airline fuel and other inconveniences. It also enhances smart passenger facilitation.

Underutilisation

Sometime ago, the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr. Wale Babalakin, expressed disappointment over the underutilisation of the facility due to the refusal of concerned authorities to use the terminal for both domestic and regional operations.

He disclosed that at its conception and approval, the terminal was planned that all domestic and regional flight operations would emanate from the facility, which has remained the best airport infrastructure since it started operation in May 2007, but so far, it is yet to serve regional operators and it is not even hosting all the domestic operations as contained in the agreement between the federal government and BASL.

“I am alarmed that we have not commenced regional operations, because we went through the entire process. We were certified but we’ve not been allowed to take off. The General Aviation Terminal, MMA 1 (GAT) is still operating illegally because based on the judgment of the Supreme Court, the GAT is part of our facility. So I hope that those who have power and who have constitutional authority know that you encourage enterprise when you follow the rule of law. Once you follow the rule of law, your country will become an investment destination. But if people are looking at us from afar, seeing simple agreements not being honoured, it puts us in a negative light and is not good for anybody in the country,” Babalakin said.

He also said that BASL would continue to legally continue to push to ensure that the rightful thing is done by allowing the facility to operate regional service and also to ensure that all domestic airlines carry out all their local flight operations at the terminal.

“We will continue to make our case based on law and we believe that our case is insurmountable, it is truthful and is only the best for the country,” Babalakin further said.

On the unique selling qualities of the airport, he said: “Well, the first thing is that it was a deliberate effort. The design was a major assignment. We didn’t just start building. We sat down with the best architects in the world to design a terminal that will have a flow. It is the flow that has made it easy for you to access here. You can see the link between the car park and the terminal. So you’re not going through a disjointed journey because you want to travel, you can see that from when you come up the escalator. It is a seamless process till you board the plane. And you can also see that we have been very disciplined by blocking passengers from operating on our tarmac.We find a way of transporting them. We think that it is backwardness to have passengers working through the ramp of the terminal to the foot of the aircraft. It is also dangerous. It only takes one accident and the country will be embarrassed.So, I think that there was a lot of deliberate effort to design an outstanding terminal and to the glory of God it has worked.”

On why the airport has remained number one in Nigeria in terms of facilities and efficiency in its operation, Babalakin said the desire to have a state-of-the-art airport terminal was eventually actualized but it was not easy to attain that goal.

“Well, we give glory to God. For those of you who were here when we started, you are aware of the enormous challenges we went through.We are still trying to surmount some of them. But we have been purposeful. And we have been determined that we will make the best of our situation. So, we thank God for what we have achieved,” the BASL Chairman said.

Linking Domestic to International Terminals

THISDAY spoke to the General Secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART), the aviation think-tank body, Olu Fidel Ohunayo on his view about MMA2 and the quest to allow it operate regional terminal for which it has adequate provision for. In his response, he said: “I think it’s a time to look at that option of having the approval given to Bi-Courtney utilized. I see that approval helping us having that linkage between the domestic and international airport, looking for the alternate linkage through the airside, which we have always yearned for, to link it to international terminal. I think giving them that West Coast option would help facilitate the provision of that facility, rather than go through that traffic on the road, using the road linking the local and international airport.

“Again, the present facility at the international wing coupled with the repairs has given that airport limited capability and facilitation. Taking the West Coast flight away from there would be of help to FAAN management. But then, the Bi-Courtney and FAAN needs to come to the table and first resolve all outstanding issues before you can proceed to a new agreement. Those issues cannot just be swept under the carpet or wished away because when you go into litigation with your brother and it cannot be solved in the family house by the family, it means that the issues there, people will come out and are not smiling and it is in that process of not smiling some truth would be revealed and it is within that truth itself that you find solutions to what is happening. There is a need for them not to sweep the outstanding issues under the carpet. They need to sit down on the table to resolve that then move forward with this option of having the West Coast flight moving to Bi-Courtney and releasing the capacity that is not enough at the new terminal at the international airport.”

Speaking in the same vein, industry stakeholder and aviation security consultant, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), insisted that government should do the right thing in order to adequately utilise MMA2 facility.

“The area for the facilitation of regional passengers was part of the amenities approved for Bi-Courtney but the conflict of interest among those in the past and present administration of our government created the lopsidedness in what services the terminal should be serving and what it is actually serving. Take a thorough tour of the terminal and you will find the unused spaces. If we have played our part in the continental and intercontinental routes well and had designated two flag carriers for Regional and Continental and the other Intercontinental routes, the MMIA Terminals should by now be congested for the Continental and Intercontinental and the Regional flights should by now be operating from the MMA2,” Ojikutu said.