The leadership of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety following a fire incident at Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Chairman of FAAN’s Board of Directors, Abdullahi Ganduje, described the incident as deeply troubling but assured Nigerians that swift emergency intervention prevented casualties and contained the situation before it escalated.

Speaking during an on-site inspection, Ganduje said the board deemed it necessary to independently assess the extent of damage in the interest of transparency and accountability.

“There is no doubt that the fire outbreak at the international airport in Lagos was of great concern to the board because safety is our core value,” he stated. “It affected employees, passengers and critical infrastructure, but we are grateful that the situation was quickly brought under control.”

More than 150 firefighters reportedly battled the blaze until it was fully extinguished. Although some sensitive equipment was damaged, authorities confirmed that no lives were lost.

FAAN’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Olubunmi Kuku, announced that a comprehensive structural audit of the affected terminal would begin immediately. According to her, engineers will evaluate the load-bearing framework, electrical systems and operational infrastructure impacted by the fire.

She stressed that restoration and reopening timelines would strictly follow safety and engineering standards, in line with FAAN’s regulatory requirements. The agency also confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

Despite the setback, Ganduje maintained that ongoing airport modernisation projects remain on course. During the visit, the board also inspected remodelling works at the international terminal, which he described as comparable to global standards.

“I thought I was in one of the well-developed foreign international airports,” he remarked, praising the quality of the upgrade works.

While operations may experience temporary adjustments, FAAN leadership insists that passenger safety remains non-negotiable. The agency reassured stakeholders that the fire incident will not derail broader aviation reforms currently underway.

Nigeria’s aviation sector suffered a major setback on Monday following a fire outbreak at Terminal I of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), which resulted in a significant loss of communication capability and disruption of critical air traffic services, according to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Ahmed Umar.

Umar disclosed this after inspecting the damaged facility, explaining that the blaze destroyed key air-to-ground communication infrastructure, forcing the temporary suspension of inbound flights into Lagos airspace.

Air-to-ground communication is a core pillar of aviation safety, enabling real-time coordination between aircraft and Air Traffic Controllers through Very High Frequency (VHF) radio systems, as well as High Frequency (HF) and satellite links for long-range operations.

The NAMA chief said the fire originated from the server room on the first floor and spread vertically, severely damaging communication and navigation systems essential for air traffic management.

“The agency recorded a significant loss of communication capability, alongside disruptions to other critical air traffic services,” Umar said, adding that the extent of the damage made it necessary to suspend inbound aircraft operations into Lagos at the time of the incident.

He noted that swift intervention by NAMA’s Director of Operations and engineering teams helped stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation.

The incident also trapped 14 personnel including air traffic controllers and engineers on the ninth floor of the control tower after smoke blocked escape routes. They were later rescued with the assistance of a construction crane while the fire was being contained.

Umar said NAMA engineers promptly switched to backup communication systems sourced from other locations, while controllers were temporarily relocated to the Fire Tower, a secondary facility, allowing aerodrome and approach services to resume later in the evening.

As part of recovery measures, civil works are underway to deploy a mobile control tower at the airfield. The unit is expected to be fully operational within 48 hours and will provide more robust communication support than the temporary backup systems currently in use.

Although the terminal building was already scheduled for demolition under a N712 billion reconstruction project, the fire destroyed billions of naira worth of operational equipment. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) office was also completely destroyed, including critical weather-monitoring equipment.

Umar commended NAMA personnel who remained at their duty posts during the emergency, describing their actions as courageous and professional.

“Some of them were supposed to run and leave their posts, but they stayed to salvage the situation,” he said.

He assured the flying public that Nigeria’s airspace remains safe, despite the disruption.

“We are highly professional and ready to provide air traffic control. Safety remains our top priority,” Umar stated, adding that the agency is taking steps to further strengthen its systems following the incident.

A potential industrial dispute over the concession of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport has been averted following the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The Minister convened a strategic meeting with three major aviation unions, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) — to address lingering concerns over workers’ welfare and job security under the proposed concession arrangement.

Union leaders had expressed reservations about the long-term implications of private sector participation at the Enugu airport, particularly regarding employment protection and preservation of service conditions.

The meeting, described as frank and solution-driven, culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the unions and the concessionaire. The agreement guarantees that no worker will lose their job as a result of the concession and affirms that existing staff status and conditions of service will be maintained.

Industry observers see the development as a balancing act between infrastructure modernization and labour protection a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s aviation reform process.

Keyamo praised the unions for choosing dialogue over confrontation, noting that sustainable reforms can only succeed through collaboration and trust-building.

He reaffirmed that the Federal Government’s reform drive is designed to attract private investment, improve efficiency, and enhance passenger experience, while ensuring that aviation workers are not sidelined in the transformation process.

The agreement is widely regarded as a confidence-boosting measure that clears the path for the smooth implementation of the Enugu airport concession, while reinforcing the Ministry’s commitment to stakeholder inclusion and industrial harmony.

The development was disclosed by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr. Tunde Moshood.