- Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
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Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport IATA: KAN – ICAO: DNKN Location of Airport in Nigeria
KANSummary Airport type Public/Military Owner/Operator Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Serves Kano, Nigeria Elevation AMSL 1,562 ft / 476 m Coordinates 12°02′51″N 008°31′28″E / 12.0475°N 8.52444°E Runways Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 2,451 8,040 Asphalt 06/24 3,301 10,831 Asphalt Sources: FAAN [1] and DAFIF [2][3] Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (IATA: KAN, ICAO: DNKN) is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same runway. Construction started on a new domestic terminal, and was commissioned on May 23, 2011. In 2009, the airport handled 323,482 passengers.
Contents
History
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is the oldest in Nigeria, with operations starting in 1936. In the first decades of operation, the airport became an important fuel stop for airlines flying long-haul services between Europe and Africa. Newer aircraft however did not need such fuel stops any longer, and with the demise of the economy of Kano in the late 20th century, many international airlines stopped serving the airport. KLM is the only European airline currently serving Kano, which they have done without interruption since 1947. This makes KLM the longest-serving foreign airline in Nigeria. Currently the bulk of international flights cater for the large Lebanese community in Kano and Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca.
Facilities
The airport both serves civilian and military flights. Runway 06/24 is mainly used for civilian flights, while runway 05/23 primarily serves the Nigerian Air Force base at the south side of the airport. But runway 05/23 was in use for all operations, when the main runway was rehabilitated in the beginning of the 21st century. Between the two runways lie the terminal facilities.
The main terminal with the control tower serves international flights and domestic services operated by Arik Air and Nigerian Eagle Airlines. Facilities in the departure lounge are minimal, with a newsstand near the check-in counter, and a small bar at airside. There is a small VIP Lounge for business class passengers. Duty Free shops are currently closed. In the arrivals hall there is a small bar and a post office.
On the south side of the airport, along runway 06/24, is the domestic terminal currently serving operations of Bellview Airlines and IRS Airlines. Facilities include a newsstand and small bar.
Construction of a new domestic terminal, adjacent to the main terminal building, started in the beginning of the 21st century. Construction was however abandoned, but was resumed. The operator of the airport, Federal Airports Authority Nigeria (FAAN), saw the completion of the new terminal in November 2009 and was commissioned on May 2011.[1]
Statistics
Statistics for Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport [4] Year Total Passengers % Increase Freight (tons) Total Aircraft Movements 2007 2008 346,683 2009 323,482 (9.8%) Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations Air Nigeria Abuja, Lagos Arik Air Abuja, Lagos Dana Air Abuja, Lagos EgyptAir Cairo IRS Airlines Abuja, Lagos Kabo Air Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah KLM Amsterdam Middle East Airlines Beirut, Kinshasa Saudi Arabian Airlines Jeddah Sudan Airways Khartoum, Ndjamena Cargo
Airlines Destinations Avient Aviation Liège, Sharjah Incidents
- On 22 January, 1973, a Boeing 707 crashed at Kano International while attempting to make a landing in high winds. 176 of the 202 passengers and crew on board were killed. It was and still remains the worst aviation disaster in the history of Nigeria.
- On 4 May, 2002, EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a BAC 1-11-500 twin-engined jet crashed upon take-off from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, killing 75 passengers and crew on board as well almost 70 more on the ground into whose houses the plane had crashed.[5]
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.- ^ a b Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN): Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano
- ^ Airport information for DNKN at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ^ Airport information for KAN at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
- ^ Statistics from Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
- ^ Nigerian Sports Minister, 146 Others Feared Dead in Air Crash
External links
- Accident history for KAN at Aviation Safety Network
- Airport information for DNKN at Great Circle Mapper.
- Current weather for DNKN at NOAA/NWS
- Airport information for DNKN at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
Categories:- Airports in Nigeria
- Kano
- Kano State
- Space Shuttle landing sites
- USAAF Air Transport Command Airfields - Central and South Africa
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces
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