The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says discussions on financing the planned extension of the Lagos Mass Transit Red Line to Murtala Muhammed International Airport are at an advanced stage. FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, disclosed this at the World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of plans to improve transportation to and from Nigeria’s busiest airport.
The Federal Government and FAAN plan to build a rail connection linking the airport’s three terminals to the Red Line. Speaking during a panel session themed “Defining the Airport of the Future: Technology, Partnerships and People,” Kuku said work was ongoing to complete the project’s financing arrangements.
According to Kuku, the proposed connection would link the city to the airport through five stops within the airport complex. It would connect the passenger terminals and extend to the cargo terminals, with the project requiring collaboration between the Lagos State and Federal Governments.
Kuku said the planned airport modernisation would improve efficiency and make the facility more passenger-friendly through updated technology and infrastructure. She noted that Murtala Muhammed International Airport had not undergone a major infrastructure upgrade since it was built.
The FAAN managing director said the Lagos airport accounted for 68 per cent of Nigeria’s air traffic, followed by Abuja and Kano. She added that three airports handled about 80 per cent of the country’s air traffic, while the authority also had responsibilities across other airports that required investment and maintenance.
Kuku said FAAN had prioritised safety in its investment decisions, focusing on airside infrastructure and the rehabilitation of major airports over the past three years. She disclosed that runway rehabilitation, resurfacing of runway extensions where possible, and improved airfield lighting systems were among the ongoing projects at two airports.
On the Lagos airport upgrade, Kuku said Terminal 1 was undergoing a complete overhaul without an expansion of its physical size. The work includes changes to the layout of immigration and customs areas, additional counters and modernised technology aimed at making passenger processing and airport operations more efficient.
