Departure
94%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (DNAA) is the principal gateway to Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria, lying some 20 km southwest of the city centre. It is operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and serves as a hub for several Nigerian carriers, with a single very long runway that dominates its operations. For a simulator pilot it offers an interesting mix of high-elevation African capital flying, heavy scheduled traffic and a dedicated general aviation and private jet presence.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ICAO: DNAA, IATA: ABV) serves Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, and is the country's second busiest airport. It is owned and operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and acts as a hub for Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Ibom Air and Overland Airways. The field is notable to a visiting virtual pilot for its single exceptionally long runway, its high field elevation for a capital-city airport, and its role as home to a general aviation and private jet wing serving diplomats, politicians and business traffic in and out of Abuja.
The airport lies approximately 20 km southwest of Abuja city centre, within the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It shares its runway between the international and domestic terminals, and the wider airport site also hosts the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The airport has a single physical runway, 04/22, measuring 11,855 feet in length with a hard surface. Both directions are lit and equipped with ILS, making it one of the longest runways in the region and well suited to the wide-body international traffic that uses the field.
Approach can be contacted on 127.9 MHz, with the ATIS broadcasting on 127.05 MHz. Ground movements are handled on 121.9 MHz and the tower on 118.6 MHz. Both runway ends are served by ILS, supporting instrument approaches to the single runway.
The airport was built in the early 2000s and opened in 2002, with a new terminal constructed by Julius Berger to handle international flights while the existing terminal was retained for domestic services. In November 2006 the Abuja Gateway Consortium signed a 25-year, US$101.1 million management contract for the airport, including plans for an airport hotel, private car parks, shopping malls and a bonded warehouse, but this contract was revoked by the government in April 2008. Delta Air Lines began flying to New York via Dakar in June 2009, introducing seasonal nonstop service the following year before suspending the route in 2012 owing to high fuel costs and reduced passenger numbers. Long-standing plans for a second runway were invited and a contract awarded to Julius Berger for US$423 million, though this too was revoked on cost grounds and fresh bids were later sought. In January 2017 Nigeria's Federal Executive Council approved a six-week closure of the airport to allow emergency repairs to the single runway, which had been built to last twenty years but had been in service for nearly forty; the closure was contested by airport users and the Nigerian Senate but went ahead, with flights diverted to Kaduna. The runway rehabilitation was completed and the airport reopened on 17-18 April 2017, two days ahead of schedule. A new terminal building, capable of processing up to 15 million passengers annually, was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on 20 December 2018.
The airport continues to serve as Abuja's main international and domestic gateway under FAAN, acting as a hub for Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Ibom Air and Overland Airways, with international services to destinations including Paris, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Cairo and Addis Ababa. A private jet wing operates alongside scheduled traffic to serve businesses, diplomats and politicians, and the site is also home to the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau. Plans for a second runway to relieve pressure on the existing single runway have been discussed for some years but had not been completed as of the most recent reporting.
