Nigeria Flights

Nigeria has over 22 airports with paved runways. Of these, 4 are international airports including, Murtala Muhammed International Airport located in the suburb of Ikeja, 22km (14 miles) northwest of Lagos, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport-3km (5 miles) north of Kano, Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport-35km (22 miles) from Abuja and Gombe Lawanti International Airport in Gombe. Port Harcourt is currently closed for renovation. There are also 21 Airstrips built mainly by the Nigerian air force and multinational oil companies scattered about the country. The Federal Government owns and operates all the airports in Nigeria through its regulatory body, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
There is a good choice of Airlines for your flight to the country. Currently Nigeria doesn’t have a National Airline, so competition on domestic flights is severe. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, but no single Airline has really emerged from the pack yet — for example, there are up to 10 Airlines offering flights between Lagos and Abuja at any one time. However we would advise travelers that those Airlines which stretch their tentacles outside Nigeria are more trustworthy than those which don’t.
For instance, SAA (South African Airways), BA (British Airways), Ethiopia Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways all fly to Nigeria and if you’re departing from any other destination in South Africa you will have to go via Johannesburg and board a connecting flight. One flying from South Africa and would wish to visit the Yankari National Park, either Kano or Abuja would be the best airports to fly to.
Among the several Airlines offering domestic Nigeria flights include Chanchangi Airlines, Nigeria’s largest domestic airline and flies between Lagos and Abuja, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Owerri. Arik Air connects Abuja with Benin, Calabar, Enugu, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Arik Air operates from the general aviation terminal. Virgin Nigeria, a venture between Virgin Atlantic and private investors, flies from Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos to Abuja, Kano, Owerri, Sokoto and Calabar.
Also to note, Opodo is the only major consolidator offering Nigeria flights from the UK. Unfortunately there is difficulty in finding reasonably priced flights to Nigeria and more so, this has been compounded by the recent suspension of Virgin Nigeria’s long-haul flights, although parent company Virgin Atlantic still operates regular flights to Lagos from London Heathrow.
Virgin Nigeria have also suspended their London to Lagos flights in order to concentrate on their short-haul services, while relative newcomer Arik Air, who offer flights from Heathrow to Lagos, have rapidly become a major player on the Nigerian domestic scene.
Of recent, most domestic flights from Lagos Murtala Muhammed international airport operate from the brand new domestic “MMA II” terminal close to half a mile from the international terminal. In late 2008, British Airways announced they were re-scheduling their Lagos flights to arrive by 6pm, specifically because of concerns over the persistent traffic congestion on the routes connecting the airport with Lagos Island and Victoria Island.