Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Malami Aminu Kano Filin Jirgin Sama (Hausa)
IATA: KAN – ICAO: DNKN KAN Location of Airport in Nigeria
Summary
Airport type	Public/Military
Owner/Operator	Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
Serves	Kano, Nigeria
Elevation AMSL	1,562 ft / 476 m
Coordinates
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 2,451 8,040 Asphalt 06/24 3,301 10,831 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Passengers 341,367
Sources: FAAN and DAFIF

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (IATA: KAN, ICAO: DNKN) is located in Kano, the capital city of Kano State of Nigeria. It was a Royal Air Force station before the country became independent. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. The terminals share the same runway. Construction started on a new domestic terminal and was commissioned on 23 May 2011. In 2009, the airport handled 323,482 passengers.

History

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is the oldest in Nigeria, with operations starting in 1936. In the first decades of operation, it became an important fuel stop for airlines flying long-haul services between Europe and Africa. Newer aircraft did not need such fuel stops any longer and, with the demise of the economy of Kano in the late 20th century, many international airlines stopped serving the airport. Until they indefinitely suspended services in June 2012, KLM was the only European airline serving Kano, which they had done without interruption since 1947. This makes KLM the longest-serving foreign airline in Nigeria.

The bulk of international flights cater for the large Lebanese community in Kano and Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca.

Facilities

The airport serves civilian and military flights. Runway 06/24 is mainly used for civilian flights, while runway 05/23 primarily serves the Nigerian Air Force base at the south side of the airport. Runway 05/23 was in use for all operations, when the main runway was rehabilitated in the beginning of the 21st century. Between the two runways lie the terminal facilities.

The main terminal with the control tower serves international flights and domestic services operated by Arik Air. Facilities in the departure lounge are minimal, with a newsstand near the check-in counter and a small bar at airside. There is a small VIP lounge for business class passengers. Duty-free shops are currently closed. In the arrivals hall there is a small bar and a post office.

On the south side of the airport, along runway 06/24, is the domestic terminal currently serving operations of IRS Airlines. Facilities include a newsstand and small bar.

Construction of a new domestic terminal, adjacent to the main terminal building, started in the beginning of the 21st century. Construction was abandoned but was resumed. The operator of the airport, Federal Airports Authority Nigeria (FAAN), saw the completion of the new terminal in November 2009. It was commissioned on May 2011.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Aero Contractors	Abuja, Asaba, Lagos
Arik Air	Abuja, Lagos
Azman Air	Abuja, Lagos
EgyptAir	Cairo
Ethiopian Airlines	Addis Ababa
Kabo Air	Hajj: Jeddah
Max Air	Hajj: Jeddah
Med-View Airline	Lagos,Jeddah
Middle East Airlines	Beirut, Cairo
Sudan Airways	Khartoum
Saudia	Medina, Jeddah
Royal Air Maroc	Seasonal: Casablanca
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul-Ataturk

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Emirates SkyCargo	Dubai-Al Maktoum
Saudia	Jeddah

Statistics

Statistics for Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport

Year	Total passengers	% Increase	Freight (tons)	Total Aircraft movements
2007
2008	346,683
2009	323,482	(−9.8%)

Incidents

• On 24 June 1956, a BOAC four-engine Canadair C-4 Argonaut airliner crashed on departure from Kano International. Of the 45 passengers and crew on board, only 13 survived.
• On 22 January 1973, the Kano Air Disaster occurred - an Alia Boeing 707-320C crashed at Kano International while attempting to make a landing in high winds. 176 of the 202 passengers and crew on board were killed. It was and remains the worst aviation disaster in the history of Nigeria.
• On 4 May 2002, EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a BAC 1-11-500 twin-engine jet crashed upon take-off from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, killing 71 passengers and crew on board as well as 78 more on the ground into whose houses the plane had crashed.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• Accident history for KAN at Aviation Safety Network
• Airport information for DNKN at Great Circle Mapper.
• Current weather for DNKN at NOAA/NWS
• Airport information for DNKN at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.