NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINALS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2016.

The new terminals at Nigeria’s major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu will be completed in 2016, Saleh Dunoma, managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has said. When they are completed, Nigeria will become the hub of aviation in Africa, he said, adding, “these airports will improve passenger comfort, increase capacity and improve facilitation.” Speaking in Panama, during the Annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition of the Airport Council International (ACI), Dunoma said the completion of these terminals would stimulate robust traffic growth in passenger and cargo traffic. Though the 7.2 percent increase for passenger traffic from the MINT countries – Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey – as contained in the 2014 ACI World Airport Traffic Report, was commendable, this figure would experience a steady rise, he said. The new international terminals are being constructed with the $500 million loan secured from Chinese bank under Stella Oduah as Aviation Minister about two years ago. Earlier at the opening ceremony, the President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, welcomed members to the city, highlighting the importance of aviation, which always contribute significantly to GDP.