Chaos As Flooding Shuts Lagos Airport Temporary Terminal
There was chaos at the temporary terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Sunday after heavy rainfall caused severe flooding at the facility.
The departure hall, boarding gates, airline temporary offices, and other sections of the makeshift terminal were submerged. The situation forced the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to shut the terminal abruptly, as airlines operating from the facility could no longer process passengers.
As a result of the flooding, airlines, including Air France-KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, and Fly Gabon, were relocated from the terminal. According to officials, the terminal’s powerhouse was also flooded, forcing the authorities to switch off electricity.
Consequently, all airlines operating from the facility were moved to Terminal Two of the MMIA. FAAN officials alleged that the flooding was caused by blocked drainage channels, which they attributed to the Chinese company currently reconstructing the old international terminal.
The incident came just months after FAAN shut the old MMIA terminal for a major reconstruction project estimated to cost more than N600bn. A few months ago, a fire also broke out at the old terminal, damaging parts of the facility.
Sources said the ongoing reconstruction of the old terminal by the Chinese contractor has caused several disruptions at the airport.
Reacting to Sunday’s flooding, FAAN spokesperson Henry Agbebire confirmed the incident, attributing it to the ongoing construction work at the airport.
According to Agbebire, the construction temporarily affected the drainage system, resulting in flooding. He said, “It was the construction works that affected the drainage. And for operational reasons, we have moved airlines operating from that terminal to Terminal 2, and the development has not really affected their operations.
“There were no cancellations at all. We have taken immediate action to fix that problem to the extent that it doesn’t happen again. You can rest assured of that.”
