International flights resume at Kano Airport

International flight operations resumed yesterday at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

A Sudan Air flight which arrived at 9am local time was the first international aircraft at the airport since KLM stopped its flights to the ancient city due to low passenger turnout.

The resumption of international flights, which was greeted with great excitement by the people of Kano State, was observed by the deputy governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was conducted round the terminal by the regional general manager in charge of North-West Airports, Alhaji Ibrahim Daibu, to observe passenger facilitation for the Sudan Air flight.

According to Yakubu Dati of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), all facilities required for international flight operations at the newly remodelled international terminal, including modern conveyor belts, x-ray and 3D screening machines, check-in counters and immigration counters have been installed to ensure safety and security at the airport.

The remodelled international terminal at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport was commissioned on March 15, 2013, by the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Dati said international operations could not resume immediately at the airport due to unforeseen logistic challenges in the installation of security and operational facilities.

'Other international airlines are expected to resume scheduled international flights at the airport immediately, following the Sudan Air flight.

'The new terminal has a full complement of modern facilities available in major international airports of the world. The Mallam Aminu Kano Airport is also one of the five airports in the country where ultramodern international terminals would be built, under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian and Chinese governments.'