Lagos, Kano, other airports record 6.4m passengers in in six months

Abiola Seun

A total of 6,420,820 passengers travelled through domestic and international airports in Nigeria between January and June this year, representing 50.5 per cent increase over 4,267, 409 recorded same period in 2020.

Passengers Traffic Statistics Report made available by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) indicated that the figure comprised of 5,513,098 domestic passengers and 907,722 international travellers.

According to the report, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos processed the highest number of international travellers with 670,938 passengers, followed by Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja with 225,985 in the first half of 2021.

NAIA Abuja, however, topped the chart for domestic air travellers with 1,974,249 passengers, closely followed by Lagos airport with 1,786,236. Others are Port Harcourt 377,679 passengers; Enugu 231,669; Kano 225,870.

The report indicates that Lagos and Abuja airports alone accounted for 3,760,485 out of a total of 5,513,098 or 68.2 per cent of all domestic arrivals and departures, and 896,923 out of a total of 907,722 or 98.8 per cent of all international passengers.

Malam Aminu Kano International Airport came a distant third with only 10,119 international passengers in the first half of the year.

On cargo, the five major international airports in Lagos, Enugu, Abuja Kano and Port Harcourt handled a total of 126.4 million kilogrammes of cargo between January and June this year, about 106 per cent increase over the 61.2 million recorded same period in 2020.

Lagos alone accounted for the lion share of 113.9 million kilogrammes or over 90 per cent of the total cargo throughput of the five international airports.

Lagos also accounted for 18.8 million kilogrammes out of 18.9 million kilogrammes or 98.9 per cent of all mails handled at the five international.