By Chinelo Obogo
Passenger traffic in Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA Lagos, in the first quarter of this year is over million and aircraft movement 4,542 according to reports from the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The international airport recorded a total of 149,557 arrivals and 174,194 departures in the first quarter of this year.
In January, MMIA recorded 59,910 arrivals while February 39,795 and in March 49,852 arrivals. Aircraft movement during the period was 2,280 arrivals while departures is put at 2,262.
Aircraft movement for January arrivals 791, February 729 and March 760, while departure in January was 782, February 726 and March 754
From the domestic airport terminal, Lagos, a total of 402,519 passenger arrival was recorded between January to March while departure is put at 337,041 and aircraft movement of 6,686 arrivals and departures 5,876.
“Passenger arrival 147,396 in January, 120,951 in February and March 134,173 and departure in January 130,554, February 1,704 and March 112,347”.
Aircraft movement arrivals for January is put at 2,213, February 2,244 and March 2,229 while departures in January is put at 2,213, February 1,704 and in March 1,959.
Airport Manager and Manager South West Airport, Mrs. Victoria Shinaba said, the traffic is building up gradually even though after January the passenger movement began to drop.
“People go on holidays, people from abroad then they travel local, they come and they go, leave till January some in December travel back in January so, December and January are always peak period aside June, July, August that is summer.
“I wouldn’t see any significant drop because Lagos has always been the business nerve center of Nigeria and it is not as if most flights coming in terminates in Lagos but it is not that significant except during the December, January, we have spoken about our eastern brothers that come in from the US and go to the east aside that I don’t see much of it affecting us.
“It is like a gradual reawakening, a gradual restart away from the covid issue, yea, there came the second wave but that did not discourage people from travelling so, it is growing gradually,” she said.
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