The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that flight operations have resumed at the temporary international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, following a flooding incident that temporarily disrupted services. Henry Agbebire, FAAN's Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed the resumption on Monday, attributing the flooding to a drainage disruption linked to ongoing construction work at the airport.
Flooding caused by construction drainage disruption
According to Agbebire, the flooding was localized and directly tied to construction activities affecting the airport's drainage system. He stated, “The flooding was localised and linked to ongoing construction activities affecting drainage.” The incident occurred after heavy rainfall on Sunday submerged parts of Lagos, leading to water ingress at the temporary international terminal.
FAAN temporarily suspended operations at the facility and relocated affected airlines—including Air France-KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, and Fly Gabon—to Terminal Two while engineers worked to resolve the drainage issue. Agbebire noted, “It was enough to disturb operations, and water flowed into the terminal. That was why the airlines affected were moved to Terminal Two while our technical team and the contractor mitigated the issue.”
No flights cancelled, passenger safety maintained
Agbebire emphasized that the situation was promptly managed through established operational contingency measures. “No flights were cancelled, and passenger safety was never compromised,” he added. The airlines have since returned to the temporary international terminal following the restoration of normal conditions.
FAAN has begun implementing corrective measures to strengthen the airport's drainage infrastructure to reduce the risk of similar incidents during the rainy season. Agbebire said, “We have commenced corrective measures to strengthen drainage and prevent a recurrence. We will continue to monitor developments, and it is something we will give priority to during this rainy season.”
Background: Lagos flooding disrupts airport operations
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the heavy rainfall on Sunday caused widespread flooding across Lagos, disrupting traffic and affecting the temporary international terminal of MMIA. The flooding forced FAAN to temporarily suspend operations and relocate airlines to Terminal Two. The incident highlighted ongoing challenges with drainage infrastructure at the airport, which is undergoing construction upgrades.
