AIRPORT CONCESSIONING: Anxiety in aviation sector as FG names bidders today

  AIRPORT CONCESSIONING: Anxiety in aviation sector as FG names bidders today

Preferred bidders for four of the nation’s international airports would be announced today by the Federal Government.

This is coming three years after the government disclosed plans to concession the airports, including Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; and Port Harcourt International Airport.

The preferred bidders were to have been announced on September 27 but had to be pushed forward to today to enable more bidders participate, according to information at Vanguard’s disposal.

This is even as the operator of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, MM2, Lagos, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd, BASL, expressed anger that it ought to be given “right of first refusal“ to bid for the four international airports to be concessioned since it had experience in running concessioned terminal (MM2).

It was learned that Kano business community, under the auspices of Kano Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, KACCIMA, had declared interest to acquire the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano.

Investigation revealed that domestic airline operators had expressed their support for the concessioning of the airports as they believe it would improve infrastructure and facilities in the airports.

Nigeria currently has 36 airports, 26 of which are owned by the Federal Governments but managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, while the five international airports are also controlled by the Federal Government.