Mr. Sani Mahmud, FAAN’s Regional General Manager, North Central, said on Wednesday,
when Emirates Airlines commenced flight operations at the new terminal.
Mahmud said the deadline was given to enable the authority carryout repairs and
renovations on the old Terminal C, where foreign airlines had been operating.
He said that Emirates was the fifth international carrier to move operations to the new
terminal in addition to Ethiopian Airlines, Air Côte d’Ivoire, Asky and Air Peace.
“The Emirates Airline arrived with 176 passengers and 16 cabin crew on board at exactly
3:00 pm with a Boeing 777 aircraft and it is expected to depart with 222 passengers on
the same flight at 6:00 pm.
He said that it was the fifth international airline to relocate operations into the new terminal
out of 14.
“We have met with the remaining airlines and gave them up to March 31, to move into the
new terminal that was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on Dec. 20, 2018.
“We believe that they have ample time to have moved into the new terminal and the old
terminal is due for renovation.
“As such, we have given them up to 31st of this month to move into the new facility and
we will commence renovation of the old terminal. We are confident that they will all move
because we have given them offices and the connectivity is in place,” he said.
Asky Airlines was the first to start flight operations at the terminal on Jan. 6.
The remaining airlines that are yet to relocate their operations include: the British Airways,
Lufthansa, Turkish, Air France, African World Airline, Egypt, Rwanda Air, Arik and Medview
that suspended operations at present.