THE Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) have maintained the topmost positions of the most viable airports as the two have been reported to be responsible for 62 percent of total aircraft movement in and out of the country in 2023.

On the contrary, airports in Kaduna, Calabar, Sokoto, Yola, Ibadan, Katsina, Makurdi, Birnin Kebbi were at the bottom line recording between 1 and 0 percent traffic within the period.

The aircraft movement included scheduled, non-scheduled and private jet owners.

According to the report sighted by the Nigerian Tribune, the breakdown revealed that the domestic terminal of Lagos airport had 67,670 aircraft movement, showing 23.7 percent of the traffic, while the international wing of the same airport had 25,753 aircraft movement, indicating 9.025 percent, making the two terminals to have recorded a combined total of 33 percent for 2023.

While the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, had a combined 29 percent of aircraft movement within the period, the breakdown indicated that the domestic terminal in Abuja had a grand total of 75,608 aircraft movement, representing 26.49 percent while the international wing of the same airport had 8,852 with 3.10 percent within the period. The total traffic percentage for the two was 29.5 percent.

The total aircraft movements at the Port Harcourt domestic airport within the same year were put at 12,831 just as the international wing recorded 8,852 aircraft movements, putting the combined traffic for the airport at a mere five percent.

Kano airport, according to the report, had a combined 4 percent traffic within the period, with the breakdown showing that the domestic terminal had 8,706 grand total, while its international wing had 2,427 traffic within the period, making it just 4 percent air traffic movement in 2023 for the airport.

Maiduguri airport domestic recorded a grand total of 3 percent aircraft movement in 2023, indicating 8,660 movement within the period. The domestic terminal, according to the report, had 8,565 movements and its international wing had just 95 aircraft landing.

Escravos in Delta State had 3 percent total traffic, showing 7,556 grand total of aircraft movement within the period, with Enugu airport, recording a combined total of 6,212 aircraft movements in 2023, totaling 2 percent traffic.

The breakdown revealed 8,706 aircraft movements for domestic flights, while the international airport had 2,427 within the period, making Enugu airport to be responsible for two percent traffic in 2023.

In the report, Owerri airport had a grand total of 6,358 aircraft movement, showing 2 percent in all, while Ilorin International airport also had another 2 percent grand total with 5,081 movement. Breakdown of Ilorin airport showed 5,081 for domestic and just 13 flights for its international wing.

Also, while Uyo International airport had just 2 percent aircraft in total movement in 2023 with 6,389 movements, Asaba International airport had 4,863 aircraft movement in the past year, showing just 2 percent of total traffic.

Benin airport recorded 5,226 total grand movement in 2023, indicating just 2 percent of total traffic within the period. Osubi Airport had a total grand total of 3,957 aircraft movements in 2023, responsible for just 1 percent traffic within the period.

For Kaduna airport, domestic and international had just 1 per cent grand traffic of aircraft in 2023. While its domestic terminal had 4,060, the international terminal received just 28 aircraft within the period, totaling 1 percent.

Other airports in the category of 1 percent included: Calabar airport with 2,858; Sokoto airport, 2,405 movement; Ibadan, 2,656; Akure, 2,850; Jos Airport, 1,444; Yola Airport, 2,904; Finima Airstrip in Bonny in Rivers State, 1,926 and Anambra International Airport with 2,222 grand total.

Airport with 0 percent within the year under review were: Forcados Terminal Airport in Delta State with just 777 aircraft landing and take off; Birnin Kebbi (local and international), 615 aircraft movement; Katsina International Airport (local and domestic), 1,300 movement, Makurdi Airport, zero grand movement; Gombe International Airport with combined total of 772 aircraft movement and Eket also had zero landing and takeoff within the period under review.

Others with 0 percentage in 2023 were Bauchi International Airport with a combined figure of 969 for local and international airports and Minna airport with 160 grand total aircraft movement within the period.

The figures above showed that apart from Lagos and Abuja with combined 62 percent traffic, other airports and airstrips across the country are unviable.

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