The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered all international airlines to vacate the old terminal of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, latest October 1, 2023.
He said this during a tour of the international airports in Lagos, where he was accompanied by the Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed.
The minister said, the vacation is necessary to give room for total maintenance work at the airport.
He therefore directed foreign airlines to relocate to the new terminal latest by October 1 when the old terminal would be shut down for total rehabilitation.
Keyamo also announced the suspension of airport concessions and the national carrier project, both part of the previous administration’s aviation roadmap led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Concession of airports and national carrier became controversial following their approval a few days before the expiration of the former government.
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The Federal Government had announced the successful concessioning of Murtala Muhammad International Airport (Lagos) and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (Abuja) to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, comprising Corporation American Airports, Mota Engil Africa, and Mota Engil Nigeria.
The Consortium was set to make upfront payments of $7 million for NAIA and $1.5 million for MAKIA.
Furthermore, national carrier project, Nigeria Air, faced its own controversy with a shadow launch three days before the previous administration’s conclusion.
The airline’s launch surprised many as it lacked the required Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for commercial operation.
The Federal High Court in Lagos had also issued an order against the national carrier’s take-off due to a lawsuit filed by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).