Operations at the temporary terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos were disrupted on Sunday after heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding across the facility.
The floodwaters inundated key areas of the terminal, including the departure hall, boarding gates, airline temporary offices, and other sections, forcing the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to suspend operations at the terminal.
Airlines such as Air France-KLM, Ethiopian Airlines, and Fly Gabon were immediately relocated after the flooding made passenger processing impossible. The terminal’s powerhouse was also affected, prompting authorities to cut off electricity for safety reasons.
Following the incident, all affected airlines were moved to Terminal Two of the airport to continue operations.
FAAN officials attributed the flooding to blocked drainage channels, alleging that the obstruction resulted from ongoing reconstruction work being carried out on the old international terminal by a Chinese construction company.
The flooding comes months after FAAN shut down the old MMIA international terminal for a reconstruction project valued at over ₦600 billion. The facility had also experienced a fire outbreak a few months earlier, which damaged parts of the terminal.
Sources familiar with the project said the ongoing renovation has caused several operational challenges at the airport.
Confirming the incident, FAAN spokesperson Henry Agbebire said the flooding was linked to the ongoing construction, explaining that the work temporarily disrupted the airport’s drainage system.
“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.”
