Nigeria International Airports Full List 2020

International airports include customs and international terminal. Passengers can fly abroad through direct or connecting flights. International airports are also used for domestic flights apart from the international and are designed under international airport standards as defined by IATA and ICAO.

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International airports in Nigeria are those airports in Nigeria offering custom and immigration services for passengers travelling into or outside Nigeria. The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, operates five international airports spread round the country. These five and other airports are been owned and managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The 5 international airports in Nigeria are Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Port Harcourt International Airport and the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

Each of the airports on our list of international airports in Nigeria will be discussed below.

1. Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Murtala Muhammed International Airport located in Ikeja, Lagos state is the best, busiest, largest airport in Nigeria. It was formally known as Lagos international airport before it was renamed to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It was established during the Second World War. The international airport has both international and domestic terminal which are a kilometer apart from each other and both share the same runway. International and Cargo terminals open 24 hours daily while the domestic terminal opens 16 hours daily.The domestic terminal is the old Ikeja Airport. The new terminal opened officially on 15 March 1979. It is the main base for Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air. The airport houses the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Accident and Investigation Bureau (AIB), Arik Air and Aero Contractors. It is also the home to the Lagos office of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). There have been about 8 accidents and incidence associated with this international airport. About 5 million people travel through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport every year and another three million travel through the domestic terminal.

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2. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport

Located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is the nation’s second busiest airport after Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It was built in the early 2000 and opened in 2002. The airport was named after the late Dr. Nnandi Azikiwe, a foremost nationalist and one of the country’s founding fathers. The airport has two terminals—one, for international flights and the other for domestic flights. Plans by FAAN to build a second runway at this airport to reduce the heavy air traffic on the airport’s single runway are at an advanced stage. This airport is among the best in the country. About 3 million passengers travel through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport every year

3. Port Harcourt International Airport

The Port Harcourt International Airport plays a very important role in the economy of the country. This is because it is located in Port Harcourt, Rivers state at the centre of the country’s oil and gas industry. The Oil and Gas industry contributes 85 per cent of government revenue and over 90 per cent of total exports from the country in terms of value. It is the third busiest airports in Nigeria. The airport only has one flight terminal which serves both domestic and international flights. This airport is associated with 3 accidents in total of which the Sosoliso Air crash, one of the most popular aircraft accidents in Nigeria is among. The Port Harcourt International Airport ,PHIA, allows direct air connections between Nigeria and major destinations around the world, especially to and from Western countries. The old terminal at the airport is under renovation, although it continues to operate commercial flights.

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4. Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport

The oldest airport in Nigeria is the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport located in Kano state. The first aircraft that landed in Kano in 1922. The airport was named after the politician Mallam Aminu Kano in the 1980s. It has been in operation since 1936. This airport before Nigeria independence in 1960, serves as a Royal Air Force Station. Currently, it serves both civilian and military flights though separate runways are used. The airport has both an international and domestic wing; the airport is located in Kano state. Apart from being a major transit point for the annual Muslim Haji to Mecca, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is a major connection point for air travellers going from Northern Nigeria to different parts of the world. The bulk of international flights cater to the large Lebanese community in Kano and Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca. The airport had been associated with 3 accidents out of which one is the worst aviation disaster in the history of Nigeria (Kano Air Disaster).

5. Akanu Ibiam International Airport

This is the least busy of the international airports in Nigeria. It is also known as Enugu Airport and serves the capital city of Enugu and the surrounding towns.The airport is named after the First Governor General of the old Eastern Region, the Late RH Sir Akanu Ibiam. The airport is strategically located in Enugu to majorly serve the South Eastern part of the country.