FAAN Announces Temporary Shutdown of Lagos International Airport Terminal, Sets Date
- FAAN has disclosed plans to shut down Terminal 1 of the Lagos International Airport in March 2026
- The closure is linked to major rehabilitation and expansion works approved by the federal government
- FEC approved N712bn for the refurbishment and modernisation of the terminal in August 2025
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to temporarily shut down Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in March 2026 to allow for major rehabilitation and expansion works.
According to the authority, the planned closure, expected to take effect in about one month, is part of efforts to address long-standing structural and operational issues at the ageing international terminal.
Source: Getty Images
The agency explained that the incident was caused by a fault in the changeover circuit supplying electricity to the facility, PUNCH reported.
The authority recalled that reconstruction works at the airport officially commenced on September 4, 2025. Earlier, in August, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N712 billion for the refurbishment and modernisation of Terminal 1.
Announcing the approval at the time, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the project would involve a full rehabilitation and upgrade of the terminal to meet modern international standards.
FAAN constructing temporary workspace for airline staff
FAAN also confirmed that since September, it has been constructing a temporary workspace for airline staff and service providers currently operating from Terminal 1 in preparation for the shutdown.
The agency apologised to passengers and stakeholders affected by the recent disruption, noting that frequent challenges at the terminal are largely due to obsolete infrastructure.
FAAN explained that installing permanent backup systems at the terminal would not be practical at this stage, given the planned shutdown and ongoing rehabilitation project.
The authority added that the closure would allow for comprehensive works aimed at providing long-term and sustainable solutions, rather than temporary fixes.
FAAN thanked passengers, airlines and other stakeholders for their patience and cooperation, while reaffirming its commitment to improving safety, reliability and passenger experience at Nigeria’s busiest airport.
Power supply challenges at the Lagos airport are not new, as FAAN confirmed a major blackout at the facility in 2024 that disrupted operations and stranded passengers.
Source: Getty Images
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Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had directed all domestic airlines operating in the country to include a mandatory Special Needs or Assistance request feature on their ticket reservation platforms to support passengers with disabilities and Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM).
According to the aviation regulator, the directive requires airlines to ensure that passengers can request assistance or notify airlines of special needs before completing the ticket purchase process.
Airlines must also include a designated field on ticket portals where persons with disabilities or their assistants can request support and actively ask whether any passenger within a booking group may require assistance at the airport or during flight operations.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
