Topsy-turvy story of Nigeria’s first airport
he history of MAKIA began when a British Royal Airforce Fighter plane made a historic landing at the airport. Commercial operations, however, began in 1936. This made the airport a centre of aviation business in the West African sub region. Research showed that in 1936 the Kano airport became an important fuel stop for airlines […]
he history of MAKIA began when a British Royal Airforce Fighter plane made a historic landing at the airport. Commercial operations, however, began in 1936. This made the airport a centre of aviation business in the West African sub region. Research showed that in 1936 the Kano airport became an important fuel stop for airlines offering intercontinental services between Europe and Africa. But with the emergence of modern aircraft which did not require fuel stops and the dwindling economy of Kano State towards the end of the 20th century, many international airlines stopped operating at the airport.
Statistics from Wikikpedia online encyclopedia revealed that MAKIA handled as many as 346, 683 passengers in 2008 alone. Despite this however, the Kano airport has over the years experienced serious degradation and limitation of facilities, forcing some of the airlines to suspend or quit operations.
The prevailing atmosphere of insecurity in Kano, following the January 20, 2012 insurgent attacks, has also contributed to the woes of Malam Aminu Kano Airport.
For instance, KLM airlines, the only company flying European routes, which had operated at the MAKIA for 65 years, suspended operations in June this year. Investigations revealed that the management of the airline had not given any specific reasons for this action.
But, the Director of Public Affairs of the Federal Airport Authorities of Nigeria (FAAN) at the airport, Musa Hassan Shawai, blamed KLM’s disappearance on poor patronage. “But Kano State and Federal Governments are making efforts to persuade KLM to resume their services”, Shawai also said.
At present, the foreign bound airlines operating at the airport are from Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia. Hajj operations constitute the main foreign services in MAKIA with Kabo and Max airlines as the only companies offering flights during the hajj and umrah seasons.
Sunday Trust investigations showed that at the local level, Arik Air, IRS Air, Aero and the defunct Air Nigeria are the only airlines flying domestic routes at present. Others like BellView, Okada Zenith and Nigeria Airways which flourished during the 1990s had vanished over the years.
MAKIA, as a federal airport managed by FAAN; the main regulatory body in charge of airports under the Federal Ministry of Aviation, has both international and domestic terminals which share the same runways.
Another domestic terminal was completed in 2011. The airport has also been equipped with fire and rescue stations, cargo sheds, a new control tower and a radar station which have just been commissioned.
Recently, the Ministry of Aviation began projects to remodel about eleven airports across the country, including MAKIA at the whopping sum of N7.5 billion .
During an assessment visit by the Minister of Aviation Mrs Stella Oduah to the airport a few months ago, she pledged that the restructuring of the airport would be completed by June. But months later, Sunday Trust observed that the project is yet to be completed.
Attempts by our reporter to persuade FAAN Director of Public Affairs to explain the reasons for the delay was futile.
With the hopes that MAKIA might regain its glory after the current restructuring efforts, many pundits are still skeptical of that the airport can be compared to its counterparts like Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja in terms of facilities and patronage.
However, Hajiya Binta Dhacko, who owns a travel agency, while speaking with Sunday Trust, expressed the hope that completion of the renovation work at MAKIA will revive the airport to a dignified one and affect its mode of operation in a positive way.