Nigeria rejects 'world's worst airport' tag

Unhelpful staff, demands for bribes, lack of seating, broken air-conditioning and a tent for an arrivals hall. Nigeria's Port Harcourt International Airport was recently voted the worst in the world.

The damning verdict came from a travel website, sleepinginairports.net, based on feedback from thousands of travellers on criteria such as terminal services and facilities, cleanliness and comfort.

As well as the dubious global honour, Port Harcourt, Nigeria's oil hub, was described as "the dirtiest and most corrupt airport in Africa".

The capital, Abuja, and financial hub, Lagos, were judged seventh and 10th worst on the continent.

But the country's aviation regulator, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), disputed the ranking.

FAAN spokesman Yakubu Dati called it "unfounded" as the domestic terminal at Port Harcourt was undergoing renovation and a new international terminal was being built.

Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport has also undergone similar renovation, while Chinese engineers are building a new terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja.

"While we regret any inconvenience experienced at these airports, including Port Harcourt International Airport, due to ongoing construction projects, we promise all airport users that services at these airports will surely get better at the completion of these projects," he told AFP.

Nigeria's aviation industry has evolved since the liquidation of the state-run Nigeria Airways in the early 2000s because of mismanagement and corruption.

With more than 20 functional planes in 1979, the national carrier was left with just two in 1999, prompting the government to throw open the skies to the private sector.

Carriers such as Arik Air, Dana Air, Aero Contractors, Med-View, Kabo and Overland Airways have since emerged as key players.

Arik, which has a partnership for maintenance with Lufthansa, is dominant with a strong presence on domestic and regional routes, as well as longer-haul flights to London, New York and Johannesburg.

Med-View recently got the nod to fly Lagos-London from November 20.

Caption: Port Harcourt International Airport

Photo: www.today.ng