The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has suspended the controversial Nigeria Air project and the airport concessioning deals initiated by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The immediate past administration had proposed concessioning of key airports including those in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt, a development that attracted controversies from industry stakeholders with some calling for renovations instead.
Announcing the suspension on Thursday during his inaugural visit and tour of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, the minister also disclosed plans to renovate and modernize the old international terminal at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to him, the renovation, scheduled to commence by October 1, 2023, aims to address the existing issues with the old terminal, which has drawn complaints for its lack of functional lifts, unwelcoming passages, and absence of adequate air conditioning.
He said: “We must use what we have for now. I have given both international airlines and local airlines till 1st October, to move from the old terminal to the new one.
“We are going to shut down the old terminal temporarily and sort out all the issues surrounding the old terminal such as concession agreements.”
“The old international terminal, right from the toilet facilities to the arrival, departure halls, are an eyesore to Nigerians and foreigners.
“The lifts are not working and the passage is unwelcoming, and there is no air conditioner. We have the new terminal but it cannot be used. It was designed without provision for big planes.
“I don’t know what happened and I have been asking that question that makes them not to have avio-bridges that would lead to the big planes.”
Keyamo said 60 per cent of revenue that FAAN generates comes from the Lagos airport, saying that beyond that, it was the gateway, and the first impression getting into the country.
He directed the immediate suspension of the Nigeria Air project and the concession project, stressing that he owes it to the government and Nigerians to give honest assessment.
The minister directed the ministry to relocate the Dominion Air and EAN hangar to create an apron facility for bigger aircraft to come to the new terminal.
He, however said that government would have an emergency procurement to ensure buses were provided to transit the international passengers to and from where the wide-body aircraft could park and disembark.
