Flight operations have fully resumed at the temporary international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following the flooding that disrupted activities at the facility after heavy rainfall over the weekend.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) announced on Monday that the incident had been successfully contained and that all affected international airlines had returned to the temporary terminal after emergency measures restored normal operations.
The flooding, which occurred on Sunday, affected parts of the international terminal and forced the airport authority to temporarily suspend operations at the facility while technical teams worked to address the situation. Several airlines were relocated to another terminal to ensure passengers continued their journeys with minimal disruption.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, attributed the flooding to drainage disruption caused by ongoing construction activities around the airport. He explained that the incident was localised and did not compromise the overall safety of airport operations.
Construction work blamed for flooding
According to Agbebire, the drainage system around the temporary international terminal was affected by ongoing construction work, resulting in the accumulation of floodwater after the heavy downpour.
He said the airport authority immediately activated its contingency plans to minimise the impact of the flooding on passengers and airline operations.
“The flooding was localised and linked to ongoing construction activities affecting drainage,” Agbebire said.
He added that engineers and contractors handling the project responded swiftly to clear the affected drainage channels and restore normal conditions within a short period.
The FAAN spokesperson stressed that despite the temporary disruption, passenger safety remained paramount throughout the operation.
No flight cancellations recorded
Agbebire disclosed that although the flooding interrupted activities at the temporary international terminal, no flight was cancelled as a result of the incident.
Instead, affected airlines, including Air France-KLM, Ethiopian Airlines and Fly Gabon, were temporarily relocated to Terminal Two to ensure flight schedules continued with minimal inconvenience to travellers.
“The situation was promptly managed through established operational contingency measures. No flights were cancelled, and passenger safety was never compromised,” he said.
He explained that airport officials worked closely with airline operators to coordinate passenger movement and maintain seamless airport operations while repairs were ongoing.
The temporary relocation enabled airlines to continue boarding and processing passengers without significant delays.
Heavy rainfall triggers disruption
The incident followed hours of heavy rainfall that flooded several parts of Lagos on Sunday, causing widespread traffic gridlock and disrupting commercial activities across the state.
Floodwaters also entered sections of the temporary international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, making parts of the facility inaccessible and forcing airport officials to suspend operations temporarily.
According to FAAN, the volume of water that entered the terminal made it necessary to relocate international carriers while engineers addressed the drainage challenge.
Airport workers were seen removing water from affected areas as contractors intensified efforts to restore the terminal for normal operations.
Following the completion of emergency intervention works, all relocated airlines have since returned to the temporary international terminal.
Measures to prevent future flooding
FAAN said it has commenced long-term corrective measures aimed at strengthening drainage infrastructure around the airport to reduce the risk of similar incidents during future rainfall.
Agbebire stated that improving drainage around the terminal has become a priority, especially as the rainy season intensifies across the country.
He assured passengers, airline operators and other airport users that the authority would continue to monitor weather conditions and respond promptly to any operational challenges.
According to him, FAAN remains committed to maintaining safe, secure and efficient airport operations while ongoing construction projects continue at the Lagos international airport.
The authority reiterated that efforts are underway to ensure the airport’s infrastructure remains resilient against extreme weather conditions, while assuring travellers that lessons from the latest flooding incident would be used to strengthen future emergency response measures.