FAAN: Abuja airport new terminal to be ready in October

Saleh Dunoma, the managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), says the new terminal building under construction at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja will be ready in October.

Dunoma made this known when President Muhammadu Buhari inspected the project after the inauguration of Abuja Metro line on Thursday.

He said the government is prevailing on the contractors, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), to ensure the completion of the project by August.

He explained that the issue of water and power supply had been handled by the government, adding that the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory had promised to connect the airport to its water supply system.

According to him, the federal executive council (FEC) has approved an independent power supply for the airport.

“So all these works are coming on and by October, they will all be functional and that is when we will start using the terminal building,” the MD said.

“We are pressing the contractor to finish in August so that we can start operations in October and all the stakeholders are working together to ensure this.

“The relocation of the control tower and fire station has nothing to do with the terminal building.

“Those issues are going to be handled in the next stage of the items of work that we need to carry out but that will not stop us from using the terminal building.”

Dunoma said other projects are ongoing in the airport including the constructions of two car park buildings on both wings of the terminal.

“Abuja and Port Harcourt airports terminal buildings are on the same level but because of the volume of traffic in Abuja, we prefer to start operations here first.

“You can see there are congestion here and there and if we must ease up operation, we must complete this project

“We are also working hard to put old facilities in order so that by the time we start operations here everything will be renewed.”

Dunoma said that there was a programme in place to ensure the execution of the second runway project.