Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)[3] (IATA: LOS, ICAO: DNMM) is an international airport located in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and is the major airport serving the entire state. The airport was initially built during World War II and is named after Murtala Muhammed, the fourth military ruler of Nigeria.

Murtala Muhammed
International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorFederal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
ServesIkeja
Lagos
Lekki
LocationIkeja, Lagos State, Nigeria
Hub for
Elevation AMSL135 ft / 41 m
Coordinates06°34′38″N 003°19′16″E
Map
LOS
Location of Airport in Lagos
LOS
LOS (Nigeria)
LOS
LOS (Africa)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18R/36L 3,900 12,794 Asphalt
18L/36R 2,743 8,999 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers5,367,234
Passenger change 16–174.9%
Economic impact (2011)$711 million[1]
Social impact (2011)123.3 thousand[1]
Sources: National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria[2] Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria[3] WAD[4] GCM[5]

History
Lagos Airport in 1969 with a Vickers VC-10 of Nigeria Airways and a Fokker F27 Friendship at the stands. International terminal (right) and Domestic terminal (left).
Ticketing Hall in Domestic Terminal.
Main Departures Hall in Domestic Terminal.

The airport at Ikeja near Lagos was built during World War II. West African Airways Corporation was formed in 1947 and had its main base at Ikeja. De Havilland Doves were initially operated on WAACs Nigerian internal routes and then West African services.[6] Larger Douglas Dakotas were added to the Ikeja-based fleet from 1957.[7]

Originally known as Lagos International Airport,[8] it was renamed in the mid 1970s, during construction of the new international terminal, after a former Nigerian military head of state Murtala Muhammed. The international terminal was modelled after Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The new terminal opened officially on 15 March 1979. It is the main base for Nigeria's largest airline, Arik Air.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal, located about one kilometre from each other. Both terminals share the same runways. This domestic terminal used to be the old Ikeja Airport. International operations moved to the new international airport when it was ready while domestic operations moved to the Ikeja Airport, which became the domestic airport. The domestic operations were relocated to the old Lagos domestic terminal in 2000 after a fire. A new domestic privately funded terminal known as MMA2 has been constructed and was commissioned on 7 April 2007.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, the international terminal had a reputation of being a dangerous airport. From 1992 through 2000, the US Federal Aviation Administration posted warning signs in all US international airports advising travelers that security conditions at Lagos Airport did not meet ICAO minimum standards. In 1993, the FAA suspended air service between Lagos and the United States. During this period, security at LOS continued to be a serious problem.[9] Travelers arriving in Lagos were harassed both inside and outside of the airport terminal by criminals. Airport staff contributed to its reputation. Immigration officers required bribes before stamping passports, while customs agents demanded payment for nonexistent fees. In addition, several jet airplanes were attacked by criminals who stopped planes taxiing to and from the terminal and robbed their cargo holds.

Following Olusegun Obasanjo's democratic election in 1999, the security situation at Lagos began to improve. Airport police instituted a "shoot on sight" policy for anyone found in the secure areas around runways and taxiways, stopping further airplane robberies. Police secured the inside of the terminal and the arrival areas outside. The FAA ended its suspension of direct flights to Nigeria in 2001 in recognition of these security improvements.[10] By 2010, the FAA had granted the airport its highest safety rating.[9]

In 2010, the airport served 6,273,545 passengers.[11]

Recent years have seen substantial improvements at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Malfunctioning and non-operational infrastructures such as air conditioning and luggage belts have been repaired. The entire airport has been cleaned, and many new restaurants and duty-free stores have opened. Bilateral Air Services Agreements signed between Nigeria and other countries are being revived and new ones signed. These agreements have seen the likes of Emirates, Ocean Air, Delta and China Southern Airlines express interest and receive landing rights to Nigeria's largest international airport.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
Air France Airbus A330-200 and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, July 2013
AirlinesDestinations
Aero Contractors Abuja, Asaba, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Kano, Owerri, Port Harcourt–Omagwa, Uyo
Africa World Airlines Accra
Air Côte d'IvoireAbidjan[12]
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Peace Abuja, Akure, Asaba, Benin City,[13] Calabar, Enugu, Freetown, Ibadan, Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo,[14] Kebbi,[13] Owerri, Port Harcourt–NAF,[15] Port Harcourt–Omagwa, Sharjah,[16] Uyo
Charter: Montego Bay[17]
Arik Air Abuja, Asaba, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Owerri, Port Harcourt–NAF,[18] Port Harcourt–Omagwa, Uyo, Warri
ASKY Airlines Lomé
Azman Air Abuja, Kano
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cabo Verde Airlines Sal[19]
Cronos Airlines Douala
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, New York–JFK[20]
EgyptAir Cairo
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Ibom Air Uyo
Kenya Airways Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
KLM Amsterdam
Lufthansa Frankfurt (suspended)
Med-View Airline Abuja
Middle East Airlines Abidjan, Beirut
Qatar Airways Doha
Royal Air Maroc Casablanca
Rwandair Kigali
TAAG Angola Airlines Luanda
Turkish Airlines Istanbul[21]
Virgin Atlantic London–Heathrow

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Air France Cargo N'Djamena, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Allied Air Ostend/Bruges
Cargolux Luxembourg
DHL Aviation Accra, Bamako, Brussels, Cotonou, Malabo
Emirates SkyCargoDubai–Al Maktoum
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Accra, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Liège, London–Heathrow,[22] Miami, Santiago de Chile,[23] São Paulo
Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt, Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo
Qatar Airways Cargo Doha
Saudia Cargo Dubai–Al Maktoum, Jeddah, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Riyadh, Sharjah[24]
Turkish Airlines Cargo Dubai–Al Maktoum, Istanbul–Atatürk[25]

Other facilities

The airport includes the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.[26] It also houses the head office of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,[27] formerly just its Lagos office;[28] and the head office of the Accident Investigation Bureau.[29] The Lagos office of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is located in Aviation House on the grounds of the airport.[30]

Arik Air's head office is in the Arik Air Aviation Center on the grounds of the airport.[31] Aero Contractors has its head office in the Private Terminal of the Domestic Wing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport.[32][33]

At one time Nigeria Airways had its head office in Airways House on the airport property.[34] Prior to its disestablishment Afrijet Airlines had its head office in the NAHCO Building on the grounds of the airport.[35]

Statistics

These data show number of passengers movements into the airport, according to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria's Aviation Sector Summary Reports.

Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Passengers3,817,3383,848,7574,162,4245,136,9205,644,5726,273,5456,746,2906,879,2867,261,1787,374,5077,164,169
Growth (%) 6.74% 0.82% 8.15%23.41% 9.88%11.74% 7.54% 1.97% 5.55% 1.56% 2.8%
Source: Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Aviation Sector Reports (2010–2013,[36] 2014,[37] Q3-Q4 of 2015,[38] and Q1-Q2 of 2016,[39])[40]

Accidents and incidents
  • On 20 November 1969, Nigeria Airways Flight 825 crashed while on approach to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. All 87 passengers and crew on board were killed.
  • Early in 1981,[41] Douglas C-47B 5N-ARA of Arax Airlines was damaged beyond repair in an accident and was subsequently reduced to spares.[42]
  • On 26 September 1992, a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed three minutes after take-off in the nearby Ejigbo canal. Three engines failed, high take-off weight. All 158 people on board were killed.
  • On 7 November 1996, ADC Airlines Flight 86, a Boeing 727-231 was approaching the airport whilst avoiding a potential collision. The 727 pilots took evasive action but overcompensated: within sixteen seconds the plane was flying upside down approaching Mach 1. The inverted aircraft disintegrated on impact, near Ejirin, killing all 153 passengers and crew.
  • On 22 October 2005, Bellview Airlines Flight 210, bound for Abuja, crashed after takeoff, killing all 117 people on board.[43]
  • On 3 June 2012, Dana Air Flight 992 crashed in close proximity of the airport. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, is reported to have banked sharply prior to attempting to land at LOS, subsequently crashing in the nearby residential area of Agege, killing all 153 passengers and crew on board and 10 others on the ground.[44]
  • On 3 October 2013, Associated Aviation Flight 361 crashed shortly after takeoff. The plane was an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia. 15 people died and 5 people survived the incident.[45]
  • On 13 February 2018, Delta Air Lines flight 55 en route to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, suffered a fire, which was caught in the left hand engine. The Airbus A330-223 aircraft stopped its climb at 2,000 feet and activated the fire suppression, returning to Lagos for a safe landing about 8 minutes after departure. The aircraft was evacuated, 5 people received minor injuries as result of the evacuation.[46][47]
  • On 15 May 2019, an Air Peace Boeing 737 from Port Harcourt to Lagos suffered a hard landing on runway 18R that resulted in damage to the engine pod and the landing gear. The aircraft was grounded, although no injuries were reported.[48]

See also

References

Citations
  1. "Murtala Muhammed International airport – Economic and social impacts". Ecquants.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  2. "Air Transportation Data (Q4 & Full Year 2017)". Nigerianstat.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  3. "Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos". Faanigeria.org. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  4. Airport information for DNMM at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
  5. Airport information for LOS at Great Circle Mapper.
  6. Sykes, 1973, p. 10
  7. Gradidge, 2006, p. 205
  8. "Lagos Airport – Murtala Muhammed International (LOS)". Lagos Airport. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  9. "FAA Grants Nigeria Its Highest Air Safety Rating". SSi (Safety & Security Instruction). Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  10. "Airport infrastructure still below global standards". BusinessNews. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. "Nigerian airports handled 57.55m passengers in four years". Punchng.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  12. "Air Côte d'Ivoire English » Flight schedules". Aircotedivoire.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. https://www.flyairpeace.com/
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. Jim Liu (24 May 2019). "Air Peace intends to serve Sharjah in 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  17. https://newsaero.info/airlines/air-peace-revient-sur-le-rgional-et-booste-linternational-avec-lajout-de-la-jamaque-en-charter-?true=3404
  18. "Arik Air introduces flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt air force base". Thecable.ng. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  19. "Cabo Verde Airlines to launch Lagos route". routesonline.com. 19 August 2019.
  20. "Delta adds New York – Lagos service from March 2018". Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  21. "Istanbul New Airport Transition Delayed Until April 5, 2019 (At The Earliest)". Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  22. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. "Ethiopian Cargo adds Nanjing service from May 2018". Airline Route. 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  24. "Saudia Cargo" (PDF). Saudiacargo.com. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  25. "Turkish Airlines Cargo Winter Schedule" (PDF). Web.archive.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  26. "Contact Information Archived 26 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. Retrieved on 8 September 2010.
  27. "Contact". Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 21 June 2020. Visit our office AVIATION HOUSE P.M.B. 21029, 21038 Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
  28. "Contact Us Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine." Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 9 September 2010.
  29. "Home Archived 7 June 2012 at WebCite." Accident Investigation Bureau. Retrieved on 4 November 2011. "HEAD OFFICE Muritala Muhammed International Airport P.M.B 016, MMIA,Ikeja, Lagos"
  30. "Contact Us Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 9 September 2010.
  31. "New aircraft to make arik air the largest commercial carrier in nigeria arik air reflects on six months of flying "the new experience" Archived 5 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine." Arik Air. 28 March 2007. Retrieved on 8 September 2010. "For more information, please contact: Gbemiga Ogunieye, Head of Communications, Arik Air Ltd, Arik Air Aviation Centre, Murtula Muhammed Domestic Airport, PO Box 10468, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria."
  32. "Privacy Policy Archived 11 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Aero Contractors. Retrieved on 8 September 2010. "Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited, (Private Terminal), Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria."
  33. "Offices & Phone Numbers Archived 9 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Aero Contractors. Retrieved on 8 September 2010.
  34. World Air Transport statistics, Issues 24–28. International Air Transport Association, 1980. 4 Archived 14 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved from Google Books on 11 June 2012. "NIGERIA AIRWAYS LIMITED – WT Airways House Murtala Muhammed Airport PO 8ox 136 Lagos. Nigeria"
  35. "Directory:World airlines." Flight International. 16–22 March 2004. 53 Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  36. "Passenger Only Aviation Data Report 2010-13 to Q1 2014". Nigerianstat.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  37. "Aviation Sector Summary Report Q4 2014 – Q1 2015". Nigerianstat.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  38. "NIGERIA AVIATION SECTOR Q3-Q4 2015 REPORT". Nigerianstat.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  39. "Nigerian Aviation Sector Summary Report: Q1-Q2 2016". Nigerianstat.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  40. "FEDERAL AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF NIGERIA : OPERATIONS HEADQUAETERS : JANUARY – DECEMBER 2015 ANNUAL REPORT : DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL" (PDF). Faan.gov.ng. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  41. "African/Arab Countries". Aviation in Malta. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  42. "5N-ARA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  43. " Archived 4 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine BBC News article."
  44. Urquhart, Conal (3 June 2012). "At least 147 Killed in Nigeria Plane Crash". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  45. "The Aviation Herald". Avherald.com. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  46. "Accident: Delta A332 at Lagos on Feb 13th 2018, engine fire". Avherald.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  47. Ranter, Harro. "Serious incident Airbus A330-223 N858NW, 13 Feb 2018". Aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  48. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Bibliography
  • Gradidge, Jennifer (2006). The DC-3 The First Seventy Years. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-332-3.
  • Sykes, Terry (1973). The DH.104 Dove and DH.114 Heron. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-033-2.

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