Reps Push For Upgrade Of Aminu Kano Airport

ABUJA, February 17, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives Thursday urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to restore the international status of the Mallam Aminu Kano International airport, (MAKIA), Kano and encourage more airliners to patronize it.

It also mandated its committee on aviation to conduct an investigation, including an interface with the international airliners and find out why they have deserted the airport. The committee is to report back in one month.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki who noted that the airport has played a significant role in the development of economic and commercial activities in the north.

He expressed worry that in recent times cargo planes have stopped landing in Kano but preferred to go to the Murtala Muhammed International airport, Lagos because of the high cost of landing in Kano, which is the highest in the country.

According to him, this high charge has discouraged cargo planes from landing in Kano thereby adversely affecting commercial activities in the northern part of the country.

He equally submitted that the airport has been under utilized partly due to non-patronage by importers and the lack of patronage has affected traffic flow to the extent that only three international airliners namely: KLM, Saudi Air and Egypt Air have regular flights to the airport.

In a related development, the House also mandated its committee on works to investigate the non-completion of the dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri Road.

The motion on the abandonment of the contract for the dualisation of the Kano-Maiduguri road was sponsored by Hon. Ali Yakubu.

While leading debate on the motion, he expressed concern that due to the poor state of these roads, a good number of Nigerians have lost their lives while several others have been injured, while properties have been destroyed.