Abuja Airport - Nnamdi Azikiwe International AirportHistoryAbuja Airport also known as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (named after Nigeria’s first president) is an international airport providing world class flight services both to destinations in Nigeria and elsewhere. It is a public airport operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) but managed by the Abuja Gateway Consortium and serves only the Abuja Area. It is located some 40 kilometers from the city centre of Abuja on the highway from Abuja to Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria and is code named by IATA as ABV and ICAO as DNAA.
FacilitiesAlthough the Airport is the most modern in Nigeria with many world class facilities such as state of the art radar systems, watch towers, hangars, well laid runways and two terminals one for domestic flights and the other for international flight services it is yet to be completed as work is on going with its second phase. The length of its asphalt surface runway is 3,609m and has an elevation of 11842 ft. It has a presidential wing made up of a taxiway linking the runway, Presidential Hanger, guest chalet and the Presidential Lounge which is fully developed. However with its first phase Airport has world class facilities. The second Phase of the airport is undergoing construction and when completed will have a parallel taxiway, the first module of the international terminal building, fire fighting station, protocol lounge, access roads and the linking of the international and presidential wings with water lines from water scheme services.
ManagementThe airport is jointly managed by a private- public sector arrangement signed in November 2006 between the FAAN and the Aeroport Gateway Consortium in which the Aeroport Gateway consortium will manage the airport’s hotel, private car parks, shopping malls and bonded ware house for 25 years at a total investment of $371 million with the first $60 million covering the construction of the stated facilities plus an upfront payment to cover administrative expenses during that period. ServicesThe Abuja airport is the second busiest airport after the Lagos International airport with Total passengers airlifted as of 2007 being over 2 million. It operates domestic flight services to major Nigerian cities like Lagos, Jos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Yola and Enugu. Major domestic airline operators that use the airport include; Dana Airways, Afrijet Airlines, Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Virgin Nigeria, Bellview and Capital airlines. Also international flight services are provided by Airline operators such as Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, China Southern Airlines, Kenya Airways, Bellview, Delta Airlines, Egypt Air and Turkish Airways. The airport also operates cargo services provided by numerous cargo companies. Safety RecordsCompared to other airports in Nigeria, Abuja Airport is safer. The Abuja Airport has only recorded one minor plane crash in which they were no fatalities.
Return to Abuja home from Abuja airport |
