The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was a beehive of activities on Monday as many passengers travelling out of the FCT for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations were seen trying to catch flight to their various destinations.
At the local terminal, Arik Air, Aero, Medview and IRS were all fully booked with many passengers on the queue, trying to know if they can still be accommodated.
Officials of some of the airlines attributed the increased patronage to the relative stability in airfare and the reform in the aviation sector.
Mr Monday Idehen, a supervisor with Medview Airlines, said that most airlines had been recording full flights, since Wednesday last week.
“This high patronage was envisaged and what we did was to ensure that we sell all our tickets ahead of time, to reduce the rush and enable passengers to prepare ahead of their journeys.
“We have actually transported a good number of passengers, who were able to get our ticket, and as you can see the pressure is less compared to what it was over the weekend,” he said.
Mr Ehis Oni, an official of IRS Airline, who said business was better this year than the previous years, explained that the airline was expecting more passengers.
He called for the creation of a conducive environment for passengers waiting for flights at the airport in line with global best practices, pointing out that the orderliness being observed at the airport was due to the online sale of tickets.
Similarly, an official of Aero Airline, who did not want her name mentioned, confirmed the increase in the number of passengers.
According to her, the `rush’ started last week and increased at the weekend, particularly on the Lagos route.
Mr Julius Amadi, a passenger, commended airline operators for the online sales of tickets, saying that the arrangement had eliminated the stress faced by passengers in queuing up to buy tickets.
