Heavy rainfall caused major disruption at the temporary terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Sunday after floodwaters inundated key sections of the facility, forcing authorities to suspend operations and relocate affected airlines.
The flooding submerged the departure hall, boarding gates, temporary airline offices and other operational areas, leaving passengers stranded and prompting the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to temporarily shut down the terminal.
Airlines operating from the affected facility, including Air France-KLM, Ethiopian Airlines and Fly Gabon, were immediately moved to Terminal Two to ensure flight operations continued with minimal disruption.
The flooding also affected the terminal’s powerhouse, forcing airport authorities to switch off electricity as a safety precaution while emergency measures were put in place.
According to FAAN officials, blocked drainage channels linked to the ongoing reconstruction of the old international terminal contributed to the flooding. The multimillion-naira renovation project, being handled by a Chinese construction company, has already caused several operational adjustments since work began.
The old international terminal was closed earlier this year for a major reconstruction project estimated to cost more than ₦600 billion. The facility had also experienced a fire incident months before the renovation commenced.
Confirming the incident, FAAN’s spokesperson, Henry Agbebire, attributed the flooding to construction activities that 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 Two, and the development has not really affected their operations,” Agbebire said.
He assured travellers that no flights were cancelled despite the disruption and said immediate steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence.
“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,” he added.
The incident has renewed concerns about infrastructure resilience at Nigeria’s busiest international airport, particularly as reconstruction work continues during the rainy season.
