Passenger check-in suffers as Lagos airport conveyor belts break down

Passengers’ flights processing and checks-in at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) was on Sunday suffered a major hiccup as conveyor belts used to move passengers’ luggage broke down.

Airlines had sent messages calling the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to address the issue as passenger waited long hours for their luggage to be cleared.

“There’s is a serious crisis here please come to our rescue the belt we are told to use is also epileptic

“We need urgent attention on the situation of this belt please. We need urgent assistance, please. Belt is not moving,” an airline who craved anonymity stated.

Passengers’ luggage were seen piled up and scattered around the airport terminal.

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Funmi Babs, a passenger, who was affected, reached out to BusinessDay to complain about the situation.

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“It’s an ugly situation we have here. Passengers who just landed Lagos Airport are here waiting to get their luggage only for the process to be suspended because the conveyor belts are in bad condition”, Babs said.

She said has waited for over one hour to get her luggage cleared but the situation seems to beyond the control of airlines.

Read also: Lagos airport in chaos as conveyor belts, air-conditioners pack up
Some sources told BusinessDay that the situation is not new as the belt habitually breaks down every one hour.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.