Abuja Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 8 reviews
3/10
No Skytrax Rating
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5/10

"not too bad to use"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | Abuja airport is closing on 7 March for 6 weeks until 18 April for reconstruction of the runway. The nearest airport to Abuja during this period is Kaduna a 3 hour drive or train ride away so getting to and from the capital of Nigeria is going to be a big hassle until the airport reopens. The only international airline currently planning to fly into Kaduna is Ethiopian - otherwise you will have to fly to Lagos and take a domestic flight to Kaduna. Abuja airport when reopened is not too bad to use (by Nigerian standards). The international terminal is not very busy so getting through is pretty painless. The domestic terminal is in the same location - check in is on one side of the internatonal terminal (for most airlines) and the actual departures area on the other side so you have to come out of the check in area and then walk past international departures and back into the departures area. The actual departures area is up an external metal staircase which is a bit of a schlep. At the top you re-enter the building go through security and are in the departures area. It's quite large and there is air-conditioning but sometimes it gets very crowded if there are lots of delayed flights (which is very common). There are some lounges you can pay to use for about N2,000 ($4) so that is well worth it if you are facing a long delay as you will get a more comfy seat, cleaner toilets, better airconditioning and a cup of tea and a biscuit. There are a couple of cafes in the main area selling mostly Nigerian food and a few shops selling the sort of things you find in any Nigerian market. To board the domestic flights you have to exit the departures area down another external metal staircase and then get in a bus or walk to your plane depending on how far away it is parked. On arrival you actually come into the International departures and arrivals building where but you have to exit to the outside to locate your transport as only passengers are allowed into the building itself. One irritating thing about the airport is the X ray bag check to enter each building so if you are flying domestic you have to go through this twice entering the building and then a 3rd time when you are going into the departures area. International arrivals can be a slow process if two international flights arrive at the same time as there is only one desk for international passport holders and a lengthy two person process where someone from state security first checks your passport and then passes it to the immigration official. Be aware that on exiting the baggage claim area in both domestic and international areas you may be asked to show your baggage claim tags so they can be compared with the tags on your bags. I can't recommend the airport but if you are travelling to Abuja it is your only option (once it reopens). It is also much easier to use than Lagos international terminal if you are arriving in Nigeria for the first time. A new international terminal is under construction and due to open later this year. At this point the current strangely laid out mixture of domestic and international should become the domestic terminal. To get from the airport to Abuja is about a 40 minute drive down a wide multilane highway. It is best to arrange a pick up in advance to avoid ending up in a rather tatty and potentially unsafe normal taxi at the airport. The cost to Abuja should be between N5,000 to N10,000 depending on the state of the taxi.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitFebruary 2017
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
yes
2/10

"no air conditioning"

(Nigeria)

For starters Abuja airport was super hot, no air conditioning or at least fans. Everything you do in the airport you pay for yet provision simple services is poor. It also took too long for bags to arrive while there were not enough seats. I am ashamed right now as a Nigerian. Unfriendly staff as well - it needs serious intervention.
Experience At AirportArrival Only
Date VisitApril 2016
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
6/10

"very friendly staff"

(United Kingdom)

On arrival as we flew Business Class we were near the front of the line for immigration. Baggage did not take too long to arrive. Finding a taxi was not obvious but a friendly airport employee walked us across the car park to the taxis - make sure you agree a price in advance. When we departed Abuja although it was quiet and there was no one in front it still took an hour to check-in. Bags had to be x-rayed and PAX go through a metal detector bags then manually weighed and manually searched after which we could check- in. Due to a computer crash boarding cards were manually written - however ground staff later gave out printed cards at the gate. The business lounge was rubbish but at least the sofas were comfy. At the gate all passengers and bags were searched again - by very friendly staff.
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
no
2/10

"airport is clean"

(United States)

Abuja international arrivals greets you with a long immigration line. Only one booth is set up to accommodate a complete flight with another booth for dignitaries and diplomats. One can stand for over 1 hour in this line while the immigration clerk scrutinizes your passport and visa. The people are generally nice and polite the airport is clean. AC is mediocre. International departure was crowded and not very comfortable and in most places extremely hot. Food options are limited. Abuja national terminal is another story. Very hot limited seating not so clean limited food options and crowded. There are no flight departure screens. In general an unkempt image.
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
no
3/10

"can be quite messy"

(Brazil)

It was better than expected but can be quite messy sometimes. Currently (April 2011) the road which connects the airport to town is under maintenance and traffic at peak hours is nothing less than crazy so program yourself to go there early. In the passengers lounge there is absolutely nothing to do but a couple of convenience stores to buy soda and crackers. Toilets are decent but with no towels nor soap to wash the hands.
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
no
2/10

"not a good experience"

(United Kingdom)

Upon arrival from Amsterdam on KLM I went to use the bathroom and there was no garbage can and no toilet paper. The airport was cleaner than I expected. I think it's better than Lagos actually. Our luggage failed to arrive with us and we were told to come back in 3 days time to pick it up! We weren't going to be anywhere near Abuja in 3 days! We were told later by the airline (after we got back to the US) that they should have delivered it to us. (It was a 6 hour drive one way by the way.) Leaving was a nightmare. They had no record of our changed flight days and had no way of checking with our credit card (we were told that's all we would need to verify our changed dates-a credit card.) We were told to step aside while they helped other passengers. Then we were sent to one person who told us to go to another person etc etc. It took two hours to straighten out the mess and that was only because my husband had to beg the woman to let him use her computer so he could check his email which he was sure would have a confirmation of the change. I will say this particular woman was very professional and willing to do whatever it took to help us. Boarding passes were hand-written. Upon checking our baggage the woman typed in LIM instead of ILM which meant our bags were heading for Lima Peru not Wilmington North Carolina! This screw-up was revealed to us upon arriving in Atlanta. Overall not a good experience with the airport or maybe it was just KLM/Delta. Who knows. I was not impressed.
no
2/10

"quite well organised"

(United Kingdom)

The international terminal is nice and quite well organised but there is nothing much to do there. The domestic terminal is madness especially between 4pm and 7pm when many flights depart for Lagos. Its more like an old bus station than an airport and I am not sure the security is that strong (last time I was there the boarding passes were handwritten on small pieces of photocopied paper)
no
na

"relatively clean and organized"

(United Kingdom)

In Nigerian standards relatively clean and organized. However I was bored out of my mind when waiting for my flight because the shopping and entertainment possibilities is nil. Overall and compared to Lagos domestic terminal this airport is paradise on earth.
no