Monday, June 29, 2026 - 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.”
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