Abuja airport hosted five million passengers in 2021 – FAAN

No fewer than 5,323,905 passengers passed through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, between January and December 2021.

This shows a 37.23 per cent increase from 2020.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Federal Airports Authority Abuja, Rabiu Yadudu, who was represented by Muktar Muye, Director of Operations of the agency, revealed this to journalists at the 40th anniversary ceremony of the airport in Abuja.

He said the Abuja airport had continued to grow in leaps and bounds, liking it to the stages in the product life cycle (concept in marketing) which included introduction, growth, maturity and decline.

He also said the airport had been progressive in terms of capacity upgrade, noting that in 2017 the airport was closed for flight operation.

Yadudu noted that for easy movement of passengers, the Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, completed and commissioned a world-class, brand-new international terminal, with a N15m per annum passenger processing capacity. The regime also commissioned the terminal D and linked the airport to the railway line in Abuja.

He further said that in 2018, the International Civil Aviation Organization audited the airport and certified it safe for flight operations with a 96 per cent score, noting that the recertification process was ongoing.

“The trajectory of progress has been upward ever since, as passengers and stakeholders have commended the level of facilities and service delivery at the airport. As a testament to this, the airport was adjudged the Best Airport in Safety for the year 2018 by Airport Council International, Africa Region. The airport also received ACI’s Airport Service Quality Award in the year 2020, amongst several others.

“Therefore, I am particularly elated that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is not only celebrating its 40th anniversary, but has continued to wax stronger and stronger.