NigerianFLIGHTDECK Travel and Business Reportage 
- As FG prepares to deliver terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Kano
MANAGING Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Engineer Saleh Dunoma, has said that Federal Government has reacted to the unsavoury remark that Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa is the ‘worst airport’ with the newly commissioned edifice.
This is just as FG has said the remaining three airport projects, Abuja, Lagos and Kano all in various stages of completion will soon be delivered in same sequence.
Dunoma spoke to Nigerianflightdeck.com before the commissioning said,”What government did was to embark on this project and also embark on the remodelling of the domestic terminal. Passengers suffered and so we were on our toes to make sure these two projects were completed. Before there was an assessment by one group which we didn’t know saying that Port Harcourt is the worst airport. Today we want to answer them, let them come and inspect what we have done with the terminal. ”
“I thank the government of this administration for the support because when they came in this project was at a very low-level of completion and today all the issues have been resolved and this project is ready for commission so we are seeing this morning that his excellency President Mohammed Buhari will commission this building and we will start using it straight ahead and the international passengers are going to have a serious positive experience because you cannot compare the other facility with this new one. This is of international standard and all facilities for international operations are provided. ”
“It’s a brand new terminal very efficient in design and it is of high-capacity, it is going to serve the people of this region for quite some time,” Dunoma said.
Recall in November 2017, two of the nation’s airports the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos were ranked the worst in the world by one sleep airports.net.
Speaking on the completion of the old terminal, Engineer Dunoma said that work is ongoing at the old terminal and as soon as the new one is in use work will start to complete the old terminal to be put for domestic use.
He said,”Work is going on there(local terminal) it’s a bit slow but work is going on. Of course there are issues because it is not like this ( new terminal) where you conceive and you start construction. We are combining operations with construction and sometimes the contractor is hindered because he cannot go full capacity because we have to accommodate our passengers. It is slow but we will get there, we are almost there. ”
“We are also pushing but now that this is commissioned by the time we move out the international operations here, then we will have a lot of space to work on at the other terminal.”
Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who spoke on the completion of other terminals that are benefiting from the China-Nigeria joint airport funding project said before long, the Abuja, Lagos and Kano airports will be completed and commissioned in that sequence.
He explained,” under the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the transport sector continues to undergo a series of reforms in order to sustain international best practices and ensure safety and security. ”
” There are ongoing reconstruction and E habilitation of runways,M installations of navigational equipment at the nation’s major airports. Ongoing works at the new terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu (funded by the federal government) which are at various stages of completion.”
He explained that approvals granted by council said it was given to source $461million from China EXIM bank to complete the the remaining three airport projects in various stages of completion.
The Minister however said that for the project to meet fruition, it still required $69.15 million counterpart funding from Nigeria and that the funds will be put to correct the various technical discrepancies hindering their delivery.
