Only three of 22 airports viable, others subsidised —FAAN

THE managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, says only three of Nigeria’s 22 international and domestic airports are commercially viable.

Kuku, who was a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief breakfast show on Tuesday, said 19 of the nation’s airports are being subsidised as they do not get passenger traffic commensurate to their operational cost.

She said the majority of the 22 airports managed by FAAN require an upgrade of critical infrastructure: the terminal areas, the landside as well as the airside.

The FAAN boss said many of the runways at the airports in the country have exceeded the 20-year validity period and were due for an upgrade, noting that the airport management will focus on some of these developmental goals this year.

According to her, economic activities in states where airports are built drive passenger traffic and not the construction of new airports.

She said rather than the construction of new airports by some state governors, they should focus on boosting manufacturing, trade and tourism activities in their domains to increase passenger traffic and revenue.