A recent report released by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority shows that eight of the 27 airports in the country recorded less than 1000 flights between January and December 2017.
This figure captures both international and foreign flights.
The affected airports are Dutse International Airport, Kebbi International Airport, Minna Airport, Katsina Airport, Gombe Lawanti International Airport, Bauchi Airport, Zaria Airport and Makurdi Airport.
| S/N | AIRPORT | DOMESTIC FLIGHTS | FOREIGN FLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutse International Airport | 106 | 12 |
| 2 | Kebbi International Airport | 558 | 51 |
| 3 | Minna Airport | 888 | 44 |
| 4 | Katsina Airport | 529 | 36 |
| 5 | Gombe Lawanti International Airport | 736 | 32 |
| 6 | Bauchi Airport | 559 | 36 |
| 7 | Zaria Airport | 574 | 0 |
| 8 | Makurdi Airport | 0 | 0 |
Airports require huge investments as facilities cost a lot and routine maintenance has to be carried out on those facilities. Thus, it is expected that the airport records activities that would enable it to remain in business although the situation might be slightly different for a government-owned establishment.
Murtala Muhammed International Airport retained its position as the busiest airport in the country. In 2017, it recorded 62,872 domestic flights and 27,698 foreign flights.
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport came in second recording 44,484 domestic flights and 7,650 foreign flights.
Port Harcourt International Airport was the third busiest in the country recording 16,367 domestic flights and 1,821 foreign flights.
The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport recorded a total of 4,285 domestic flights and 1,887 foreign flights.
On March 8, 2017, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was shut down for six weeks to allow runway repairs. The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport served as the alternative.
All the Nigerian airports recorded a total of four million passengers in 2017 on foreign flights and 10.3 million passengers on domestic flights.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct figure of the total domestic flights recorded in Lagos. (The Cable)
