Nigerian tycoon Wale Babalakin’s Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd. is preparing to start regional flights from the MMA2 terminal it runs at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport, little more than a week after a settlement with the federal government cleared the way for flights to other African countries.
Babalakin, the company’s chairman, inspected the new regional arrivals area, an extension of the aircraft parking apron and a new access gate for staff and concession holders at the terminal on Thursday, the company said in a statement.
Remi Jibodu, the acting chief operating officer, who led the inspection, said the team would work with government agencies and regulators to complete the inspections and approvals needed before launch. “We are committed to meeting the stipulated timeline for the commencement of regional operations,” he said.
Bi-Courtney did not say when the first regional flight will leave the terminal, which airlines will use it or which routes they will fly. Nor did it disclose how much it is spending on the new works.
Babalakin told managers to keep the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the industry regulator, closely involved and to coordinate with security agencies. He also asked for attention to finishing work, safety and operational readiness, the company said.
Idunnu Oyebolu, Bi-Courtney’s acting chief executive officer, said the company is building the regional facilities while it prepares for heavier passenger traffic over the year-end holiday season, Nigeria’s busiest travel period.
Settlement opened the door
The push follows the final settlement Bi-Courtney signed on Oct. 20 with the federal government, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Stabilini Visinoni Ltd., a construction company Babalakin chairs. The deal ended a fight of nearly two decades over the terminal.
Under the agreement, Bi-Courtney gave up its claims against the government, including a court judgment of about ₦132 billion ($96.7 million) plus interest, and an exclusivity clause that gave it control of domestic flights in Lagos. In return, it can expand the apron at MMA2 and handle regional flights within Africa, subject to the terminal’s capacity. The airports authority will now collect concession fees from the terminal for the first time in 20 years.
“This is not a win for us alone; it is a win for Nigerians,” Babalakin said at the signing. “We will not disappoint the President, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, FAAN or Nigerians.”
Years of delay
Regional flights have been on Bi-Courtney’s agenda for more than a decade. A ministerial committee on airport security certified MMA2 as fit for regional operations in 2016, and the company set aside gates 5 and 6 for such flights, with separate areas for immigration and health officials. In 2023, it said it had spent more than ₦600 million on those facilities since 2014 without being allowed to use them, blaming inconsistent government policy.
The government signed the concession with Bi-Courtney in April 2003 to design, build, operate and eventually hand back a new domestic terminal after fire destroyed the old one in 2000. The term was later extended to 36 years.
The settlement also restores Bi-Courtney’s rights to an unfinished four-star hotel and conference center opposite the terminal. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has said the company has 24 months to complete them, and Babalakin has said the projects, together with regional flights and the apron expansion, will create skilled jobs.
Babalakin, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the country’s equivalent of senior counsel, founded the law firm Babalakin & Co. and chairs the Bi-Courtney Group, whose interests span aviation, construction and property.
