FAAN: Nigeria air traffic dropped in 2013
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has revealed that the country has recorded 222,967 aircraft movements last year, a 3.9 percentage drop, compared to 231,599 movements in 2012.
The revelation was contained in a statement issued in Lagos by FAAN spokesperson, Mr Yakubu Dati.
The statement said that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, recorded the highest movement of 96,549 as against 95,849 movements in 2012.
It said that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had the second highest traffic, recording 57,153 in 2013 as against 56,477 movements in 2012.
Also a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Lagos and Abuja airports have recorded over 75 percent of total air passenger travel in Nigeria, both in 2012 and 2013.
NBS said yesterday that the Domestic Air Passenger Traffic – January 2012 to December 2013, revealed that about 50 percent of average total passenger air travel between 2012 and 2013 were through Lagos airport, domestic and international wings, while 25 percent were through Abuja airport.
The NBS report said the aviation sector has contributed N32.2 billion in the recently rebased GDP, adding that the air transport contributed N48.8 billion in 2013, N42.7 billion in 2012 and N36.6 billion in 2011.
The 2013 contribution represented an average 4.8 percent of transport and storage sector and an average of 0.05 percent of total nominal GDP during the period under review.
The sector grew at a common average growth rate of 14.3 percent between 2010 and 2013, stated NBS.
Other airports with high traffic, the report, said are the Port Harcourt International Airport which recorded 23,627 in 2013 and 23,043 in 2012; Aminu Kano International Airport recorded 6,200 aircraft movements in 2013, as against 6,580 in 2012.
The statement said that the Minna Airport recorded 466, compared to 617 movements recorded in 2012. The Makurdi and Katsina airports handled the least numbers of aircraft movements with 264 and 403 in 2013 as against 303 and 382 in 2012, respectively.
The statement, however, said that FAAN was anticipating an increase in aircraft traffic after the completion of re-modeling works in the 22 airports in the country.