Murtala Muhammed International Airport
This is the busiest airport in Nigeria, in the southern city of Lagos, and is most likely where your international flight will arrive. There are direct flights from Atlanta, Houston, and New York-JFK served by Delta, Arik Air, and United. There are also many direct routes to European destinations, such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, Madrid, and Paris-CDG served by KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Iberia, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic. There are also several daily flights to domestic destinations, including Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The airport serves nearly seven million passengers annually, and is the fifth busiest airport in Africa. It has grown double the capacity in the last decade. There are two separate terminals for international and domestic flights, with the domestic terminal being renovated and upgraded in 2007. The terminals are on the same property but about two miles apart with no footpath connecting them. Therefore if you are transiting between the terminals you will need to catch a taxi for the short ride. There are many passenger services at the terminals, including restaurants, retail stores, and usual duty-free stores once travelers have cleared customs.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
The second most important airport in Nigeria is located in the capital city, Abuja. The airport handles little over four million passengers annually. There are direct international flights to European cities of Frankfurt, London-Heathrow, and Paris-CDG served by Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France. There are also several flights to other regional destinations in Africa, as well as many daily flights to domestic destinations such as Lagos and Port Harcourt.
There are plans to upgrade the airport to include an on-site hotel and a shopping mall, although at the moment facilities are fairly basic. There airport is fairly modern though, and you will find places to eat and drink, retails stores, and duty-free shopping.
Port Harcourt International Airport
Port Harcourt also receives direct flights from European destinations and is the third busiest airport in Nigeria. You can also connect with Abuja and Lagos; there are several flights departing daily.
Other Airports in Nigeria
There are 20 further domestic airports in Nigeria, making flying to travel around the country a convenient option. Since the infrastructure is not well-developed in Nigeria, as can be expected of an African country, ground transportation can take a long time and be unreliable. Catching short hop domestic flights may be more attractive. Many of these routes are served by Arik Air, which is one of Nigeria’s major airlines.