Aviation stakeholders have called for the urgent expansion of apron space at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, warning that existing limitations are constraining aircraft movement and undermining the airport’s potential to operate as a regional hub.
This was made public through a communiqué issued after the Q1 Business Breakfast meeting of the Aviation Safety Rounds Table Initiative held on Thursday. The communiqué was made available by the Publicity Secretary of ASRTI, Albinus Chiedu, on Tuesday.
The demand formed part of a broader set of recommendations from the deliberations aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s busiest airport in line with global standards and best practices.
At the heart of the concerns is the need to create more aircraft parking space, particularly for wide-body operations, which stakeholders say is currently hampered by structural constraints within the airside.
“There is a required expansion of apron and aircraft parking stands by relocating two hangars obstructing wide-body aircraft operations”, the stakeholders stated.
They noted that without immediate intervention, congestion on the apron could continue to affect turnaround time, operational efficiency and overall safety.
Beyond apron expansion, the stakeholders outlined several other critical areas requiring urgent attention, beginning with the provision of transit facilities to support hub operations.
“Attention should be given to basic elements for the emergence of a hub status in line with globally accepted standards and practices, starting with immediate provision of transit facilities at MMIA,” they said.
To strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in international aviation, the group also advocated the development of strong indigenous carriers that can function as national flag airlines.
“Two to three strong Nigerian airlines should become national flag carriers so as to boost passenger and cargo traffic,” said the stakeholders, who stressed the need to embrace technology to improve passenger experience and modernise cargo handling systems.
“There is a need to adopt technology to enhance passenger experience and develop modern cargo terminals and cold-chain systems at the airports,” they noted.
They also highlighted the importance of positioning Nigeria as a maintenance, repair and overhaul hub, describing it as a strategic move to unlock value within the aviation ecosystem.
“There is a need to position Nigeria as an MRO hub to unlock greater value in the aviation supply chain,” the stakeholders said.
In addressing connectivity challenges within the airport, they called for high-level engagements towards the development of a monorail system linking terminals.
“There should be high-level engagements for monorail development at MMIA for terminal connectivity,” they stated.
Safety infrastructure also featured prominently in the recommendations, with stakeholders calling for the upgrade of airfield lighting systems.
“There should be an upgrade of airfield lighting on Runways 18L/36R and key taxiways to Category II LED standards,” they said.
To further enhance airside operations, the deployment of advanced navigation and control systems was proposed.
“Deployment of the advanced Airport Surface Movement Guidance and Control System and implementation of access control systems are required,” they added.
Efficiency in aircraft handling was another key focus, with calls for the installation of multiple avio bridges.
“There is a need to install multiple avio bridges for simultaneous aircraft turnaround,” the stakeholders noted.
They also urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to upgrade cargo terminal infrastructure and integrate modern logistics systems, saying, “FAAN needs to upgrade cargo terminal facilities and integrate air cargo logistics systems.”
In addition, the group emphasised the importance of inclusive stakeholder participation in ongoing airport modernisation efforts: “There is a need for stakeholder-inclusive engagement in the current modernisation of the MMIA from design to execution.”
