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FAAN targets 9.7 million passengers from Lagos airport

By BusinessNews Staff on December 23, 2013

Passengers travelling through the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos are expected to rise to 9.7 million, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has predicted.

This represents an increase of 36.62 per cent over the 7.1 million passengers recorded in 2012.

The outgoing Regional General Manager, South West, FAAN, Mr. Edward Olarerin, was quoted as saying this during a meeting with South West Airport Managers in Lagos on Friday.

He also predicted an increase in aircraft movement to over 130,000 in the same period.

He said, “Passengers numbers are expected to rise from 7.1 million to 9.7 million by the year 2017 while the number of aircraft movement is also expected to grow to 139,636 in 2017.

Also, cargo forecast is expected to rise from 170 million kg in 2012 to 188 million kg in 2017.”

Olarerin said from 5,117,034 passengers in 2008, the MMA processed a total of 7.2 million passengers in 2012 while aircraft movement rose from 84,198 in 2008 to 105,334 in 2012.

He explained that the same trend was replicated in cargo, adding that from a total of 164 million kilogramme in 2008, freight rose to 170 million kilogramme in 2012.

He added that MMA was expected to be a hub as the ongoing construction of transit facilities would have come on stream within the next five years, adding that the number of airlines was expected to increase as a result of improved infrastructure, as well as capacity expansion resulting from the ongoing transformation in the aviation sub-sector under the supervision of the current minister.

Olarerin said the MMA had maintained a healthy relationship with stakeholders in a bid to foster industrial relationship.

“I am glad to say in the years under review, we have maintained healthy relations with our stakeholders while fostering positive industrial relations at the MMA, and we hope that there will be the sustenance of the existing cordial relations and industrial peace,” he said.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Managing Director, FAAN, Mr. George Uriesi, promised the workers of the organisation that everything was being done to improve their welfare in order to be more productive.

He also spoke on the South West regional meeting of airport managers in Lagos, stressing that he had yet to give his best to the agency due to the several battles he had been fighting to liberate FAAN from the clutches of some selfish Nigerians who saw the agency as a cash-cow and would want to milk it dry.

[Punch]

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