Centrality is the major factor of consideration for locating the New Federal Capital City at Abuja. Not only in the national context but also in the African context. According to the analysis of the Abuja Master Plan air distance analysis, Nigeria’s location is central in relation to some major African airport cities. These include Dakar, Casablanca, Cairo, Khartoum, Nairobi and Lusaka.
At the national level the analysis were made with distances from major cities like Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri, Yola, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Benin City and Lagos. Abuja’s location is relatively central from all the regions of the country.
As observed, the New Capital will not only be geographically central in Nigeria, but also to all Africa countries, making the City of international significance. A five-hour jet ride can transport one to nearly every important city on the large continent. The combination of a modern City and international air access make a natural magnet for the centralization of Pan-African commercial, financial and political institutions.
It was envisaged that the commercial passenger market area of the FCT will vary according to the mix of services ultimately operated at the Abuja Airport. Clearly the Abuja Airport will be sole means of air access for the FCT and become auxiliary airport (if not the primary airport) for States adjacent to the FCT.
Because of its central location in Nigeria, the Abuja Airport has the potential to serve as a domestic air travel hub, attracting transfer traffic from 4 to 6 state area. Also depending on the quantity and type of international service offered, the Abuja Airport may serve some function as a transfer point for international traffic.
On the basis of available topographic data, two sites appear to meet the criteria for establishment of airport in the FCT. Site 1 is located on the western edge of the Gwagwa plains. About 32km from the City Center. And Site 2 is located on the southeastern edge of the Iku-Gurara plains, about 70km from the City Center. The Site 1 is the one recommended and is where the Abuja Airport is located today.
The primary determinants of airport capacity are terminal and runway capacities. For the terminal capacities, because of their modular nature and modest areal demand compared with runways, they can be added incrementally as air-travel demand grows, and a relatively short time horizon can be adopted in their planning. Over the years, from the time it was under the FCDA to the handing over to the statutory Federal Ministry, the Abuja Airport with the current International Terminal, has assumed different changes, structures and modifications.
Runway capacity on the hand cannot be increased in small increments, but must be added in large and expensive units, with an entire runway as the minimum increment. Because of the extensive land area needed for the runway, early decision regarding runway capacity was necessary. For Abuja, the areal coverage of the entire Airport with the terminal, existing and future runways were determined. And all the affected local settlements to be compensated and resettled were determined from the onset. All the others that are unauthorized developments are the responsibility of the FCTA to remove for the second runway implementation.
The two basic options considered for runway capacity for the Abuja Airport are; single runway operation and operation on two parallel runways. The need for crosswind runway is unlikely. Extension of air travel trend from the onset suggested that a single runway operation will be sufficient for Abuja Airport at full development of the Federal Capital City to 3.1 million inhabitants. Also, comparison of the Federal Capital City with cities with similar population and even higher travel densities suggests that a single runway operation will meet the needs of a fullydeveloped Federal Capital City.
However, it was acknowledged that certain factors could result in unforeseen air-travel density, and the subsequent need for parallel-runway capacity. These are: Increase in the per-capital rate of domestic air travel beyond the originally forecasted. Emergence of unexpected general aviation activity. And the development of the Abuja Airport as a transfer hub for international traffic.
In the prevailing scenario, all the factors anticipated above have emerged. Also, there is population increase of the City beyond the planned 3.1 million threshold the Airport is expected to serve. There is also security concerns that pose challenges to road transportation. Therefore, new indices that were none existent before have now been added. Many citizens now divert to air travel instead of the earlier roads used for long and medium distance journeys.
Another important factor is the frequent Presidential or VIP movements that disrupts normal flights operations. Landings are delayed on approach to the Airport upwards of 30 minutes. The cumulative effects of all these factors is responsible for the increase in air traffic volume with frequent delays in take-offs and landings at the Abuja Airport. This havesafety implications, consumption of more aviation fuel and increase operational cost on the commercial airways operators. The charges would eventually trickle down to their customers. A situation where ordinary citizens bear the cost for the leadersconveniences.
Presidential or VIP movements are matters of security concern. But in a situation that it infringes on the rights or endangers the safety of the other citizen it must be reviewed. By the status of Abuja with an international airport, the plan has envisaged the provision of a second and parallel runway. Additionally, from what is obtained in other climes, due to vital national security concerns for our VIPs circumstances has now warrants the implementation of the second airport as provided in the plan which should be devoted for the Presidential and VIPs operations.
