THE new terminals at the four international airports under construction in the country would be completed by December 2016. The airports are those in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

This was disclosed during the week by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi after at a press briefing after the inspection of facilities at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Amaechi further disclosed that after completion, MMIA would generate 15 million passengers, while the other airports after completion would equally generate 15 million, bringing total traffic to 30 million annually.
Government had in about two years, ago, got $500 million from the Chinese bank for the construction of five new terminals to ease congestion at the current ones.’

Amaechi also hinted that the Federal Government has concluded plans to privatise four of the nation’s airports to guarantee efficiency and good management of aviation industry.

According to the minister, “The new terminal in Lagos will generate additional 15 million passengers annually making a total of 30 million passengers yearly nationwide. The medium and long term plans will require significant investments to upgrade and expand infrastructures to meet current and future requirements.”
“As a result of limited resources for capital projects development, government is exploring the possibility of private sector participation to towards the realization of the industries’ potentials”.

The stated that there is the urgent need to continue to improve on infrastructure, noting that out of the four conveyor belts, two have broken down while just two are functional for the Lagos.

He reiterated that the exercise would lead in private participation in airports development to ensure good service delivery.

The Minister has explained why government was yet to implement the waiver granted to airlines on aircraft importation. According to him, the current government is currently reviewing all waivers granted under the immediate past government, adding it was discovered that the policy was abused.
“Airlines may have to wait till the outcome of the review of all waivers granted in recent past. The review became necessary because they were abused”, he added.

The Minister who was accompanied on the tour by Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Muhtar Usman, Managing Directors of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Director-General of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforom among others stated that there would not be no sacred cows in the recovery of debts owed the various agencies.

The Minister who was accompanied on the tour by Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Muhtar Usman, Managing Directors of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Director-General of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforom among others stated that there would not be no sacred cows in the recovery of debts owed the various agencies.

Meanwhile the Director General of NCAA, Muhtar Usman has said that airlines in the country are collectively owing NAMA, NCAA, NCAT NIMET over N4 billion over in Passenger Service Charge (PSC) and Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), prompting the NCAA to issue them two weeks ultimatum to pay up or be grounded.
Usman however noted with dismay that not much had been heard from the airlines despite the ultimatum given to them, adding that the agencies were still pleading with the airlines to pay.