MMA2 Moves to Ease Peak-Hour Pressure as Passenger Traffic, Airline Capacity Surge
Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos, is exploring measures to spread airline operations more evenly throughout the day as rising passenger traffic and increased airline capacity put greater pressure on airport infrastructure and passenger-processing systems.
The terminal operator, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), said it was engaging airlines on the adoption of a Level 2 schedule-coordination and slot system aimed at reducing the concentration of flights during peak periods and making better use of available capacity.
BASL disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Communications, Ajoke Olawuyi, and issued on Wednesday against the backdrop of the ongoing Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition 2026 in Abuja, where stakeholders are examining ways of strengthening airport capacity, efficiency and resilience across the continent.
The conference, themed “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” has brought together airport operators, airlines, regulators, government agencies and other aviation stakeholders to discuss infrastructure development, digital transformation, sustainability, operational efficiency and collaboration.
According to figures presented by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the conference, Nigeria handled more than 18.8 million domestic and international passengers in 2025, representing an 11.9 per cent increase over the previous year.
The growth has also been reflected in airline capacity. Data from aviation data provider OAG showed that scheduled airline capacity in Nigeria reached approximately 1.19 million seats in September 2026, representing a 37.4 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
BASL said the figures underscored the need for airport capacity to be viewed beyond the physical expansion of terminal buildings.
It said infrastructure, airline scheduling, security deployment, access roads, passenger-processing systems, technology and coordination among stakeholders must develop together if airports are to cope effectively with increasing traffic.
At MMA2, BASL said a significant proportion of airline schedules was concentrated within the early peak period, creating simultaneous pressure on several parts of the passenger journey.
The operator, however, said the terminal had sufficient capacity outside the highly concentrated period, prompting discussions with airlines on ways of distributing operations more evenly.
“The challenge is to ensure that any adjustment to flight schedules takes into consideration the commercial realities of airline operations, including passenger demand and potential revenue implications,” the company said.
It added that discussions with airlines were ongoing, with the objective of developing practical options that would optimise existing airport capacity while improving the passenger experience.
BASL said another area receiving attention was passenger screening, stressing that managing congestion could not be reduced to addressing pressure at a single point in the terminal.
The company said it had been engaging FAAN over the deployment of adequate Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel to operate the available screening infrastructure effectively during peak periods.
According to BASL, FAAN had acknowledged the operational challenge and was working towards solutions. The terminal operator also identified traffic congestion and access into the airport environment as factors that could affect the passenger journey before travellers even reach the terminal.
It said it had therefore engaged the Police Airport Command, Air Force authorities and other relevant security stakeholders on measures to facilitate smoother traffic movement into the airport and minimise delays.
BASL said technology would also play an increasingly important role in addressing capacity challenges as passenger numbers continued to rise.
The company disclosed that it was discussing with its service partners ways of expanding the digitisation of key processes in an effort to improve operational efficiency and reduce pressure on physical facilities.
It also announced plans to introduce a No-Bag Zone at MMA2, which would allow passengers travelling without checked baggage to have a more streamlined check-in experience.
The initiative is expected to reduce the need for passengers without checked luggage to go through processes designed primarily for travellers requiring baggage handling.
BASL is also considering the application of Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) principles at the terminal. The initiative involves the sharing of operational information among airport stakeholders to improve coordination, predictability and decision-making.
The approach is increasingly being considered as airports seek to improve the use of existing infrastructure rather than relying solely on physical expansion to accommodate growing traffic.
BASL said the measures being considered at MMA2 reflected the broader challenges confronting Nigeria’s aviation sector as passenger numbers and airline operations continued to grow.
The company said the discussions at the ACI Africa conference on next-generation airports, resilience, digital transformation and operational efficiency were directly relevant to the Nigerian market.
For the MMA2 operator, the response to rising traffic involves not only expanding infrastructure but also improving the utilisation of existing facilities and strengthening coordination among the various organisations involved in the passenger journey.
“As passenger numbers and airline operations continue to increase, the future of airport efficiency will increasingly depend on capacity, coordination, technology and collaboration working together,” BASL said.
The company said its focus was therefore on developing a more coordinated, technology-enabled and resilient airport operation capable of supporting the continued expansion of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
