Abuja airport closure: FG offers free bus, train rides

Minister of State for Transportation, who is in charge of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has explained the logistics arrangements put in place for persons travelling by air from or out of Abuja.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to formally announce the closure of Abuja Airport beginning from tomorrow, and the use of Kaduna Airport as alternative, Sirika said all travellers from Abuja will head to the Abuja Airport and not Kaduna directly.

“Passengers will file themselves into Abuja Airport as if they are travelling from Abuja, after which they will be screened, including their baggage and they will be put on the buses and they will be transported direct to the Airport in Kaduna,” he said.
Sirika said special buses made available for ferrying passengers will be escorted by armed policemen “in front and behind.”

Passengers are not to pay for the bus fare, or similar cost on train, he said.
He also said while in the buses “there will be helicopter patrol over the expressway to the airport and at every five kilometer going there will be armed policemen stationed”.
The Minister said while in Kaduna, passengers will again be screened “in case of contamination and then they will board on their flight.”

He said passengers heading to Abuja from various destinations will be given “a single form of three lines stating their preferred choice of getting to Abuja; either by bus or train or private arrangement.”
Sirika said special marshals are stationed at Kaduna Airport who will have placards indicating train, bus or private arrangement.
“Passengers are expected to follow flagged marshals from the arrival hall who will take them to buses that will take them either to train station Abuja. They will also show those with private arrangement where the private car park is.”

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