The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Farouk Umar, disclosed that a fire at Terminal 1 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday destroyed key air-to-ground communication equipment, forcing air traffic controllers to operate solely on emergency backup systems to maintain flight operations.

Umar made the disclosure while evaluating the incident’s impact, which disrupted airport operations, caused flight diversions, and prompted a major emergency response.

He noted that the damage significantly affected critical infrastructure essential for aircraft communication and air navigation services.

Umar said, “Let me be honest with you, the fire has affected our air-to-ground communication completely. What you see on the ground to sustain air traffic service is the backup that we moved from other places to sustain Lagos. The truth of the matter is that with what I have seen, we have a lot to do when we are out of the situation. It is going to be very difficult for me to tell the magnitude of the loss; it will take us a while to do so.”

Umar explained that the agency’s management was in a meeting when the fire broke out, triggering an immediate operational response.

The incident comes as the Federal Government advances plans to modernize Lagos Airport’s ageing infrastructure, with aviation authorities poised to assess the full extent of the damage and initiate repairs to the compromised communication systems.

The NAMA chief stated that senior technical officials were promptly dispatched to assess the situation and stabilize air traffic operations at Nigeria’s busiest airport.

“We were in a management meeting when this incident was reported. I immediately dispatched the directors of operations and engineering to come and see things for themselves. What we saw actually was a huge loss as far as communication is concerned. Also, air traffic services were really disrupted,” he noted.

He added that, at the height of the emergency, aviation authorities were forced to temporarily suspend incoming flights to Lagos to ensure safety while backup procedures were activated.

“We had no option at that time but to suspend inbound aircraft into Lagos. But good enough, the Director of Operations was around, and there was a prompt response to the emergency in which we found ourselves,” he stressed.

Monday afternoon’s fire at Terminal 1 damaged multiple aviation installations within the facility.

Umar, however, reassured passengers, airlines, and international partners that Nigeria’s airspace remains safe, highlighting that the prompt coordination of aviation personnel averted a major operational crisis.