MMIA Records Increased Biz Activities

The domestic terminals of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on Saturday recorded increased activities in the wake of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Our correspondent reports that while some travellers made enquiries for tickets to travel, others arrived and were received by their loved ones.

Long queues of passengers characterised some airlines’ counters at the two terminals as travellers waited anxiously to be checked in.

The General Aviation Terminal and the Murtala Muhammed Terminal (MMA) 2 were filled to capacity with travellers jostling for tickets.

Most of the passengers were heading for Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Calabar.

Some outbound passengers said that they were travelling to meet their families and friends to celebrate Christmas out of Lagos.

An Abuja-bound passenger, Mr Lucky Osaghede, said that he was travelling to celebrate Christmas with his wife and their new born baby.

Another passenger, Mrs Christiana Okoh, said: “my husband was transferred from here to Port Harcourt and the children are on holiday; so, we are travelling to spend the period with him in Port Harcourt’’.

Mr Akeem Oseni, who was travelling to Abuja, however, frowned at the increase in local airfares.

“I paid N4,000 extra for this trip to Abuja; before now, one could book online for tickets cheaper than the amount I paid today. This is unfair.

“Airlines should not use this period to exploit travellers. They know that a lot of people fly these days because of our bad roads,’’ Oseni said.

An attendant with one of the airlines at the MM2, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that airlines increased fares to make up for their challenges.

Tickets for air travel from Lagos to Abuja is between N25,000 and N29,000 on counter, while Lagos to Port Harcourt is between N27,000 and N30,000.

Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has advised Nigerians, especially air travellers, to make early preparations for their travels for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The FAAN General Manager (Corporate Communications), Mr Yakubu Dati, gave the advice in a statement in Lagos.

He said the early preparations were to avoid the rush that usually characterised Christmas and New Year periods at major airports nationwide.