Friday, February 3, 2017

5 Ways to Cope with the Closure of the Abuja Airport



Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria is frequently visited for business and government functions, meetings and related activities. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport receives about 5000 travelers on a daily basis from domestic and international flights. The government, Ministry of Transportation and management of the Abuja Airport have however announced closure of the Airport for 6 weeks starting from March the 8th. This isn’t good news for many. From airline operators to travelers. Many who have scheduled trips ahead that fall within this period of airport closure are distraught with disappointment. Aside from being helplessly caught in what seems like a good thing with such bad timing, here is how business travelers can cope with the closure of the International Airport in Abuja.



Rent a Chopper
Hiring a Helicopter is a good way to get to Abuja despite the maintenance work going on in the airport. Helicopters do not need a runway to land, most high rise buildings and business travel hotels in Abuja have a landing area for helicopters. This is especially useful if you have an entire team heading out to this important business meeting that cannot afford to be postponed.
Make the Trip to Abuja Now
Or at least before the scheduled shut down of the airport. Bring forward appointments that can be brought forward, or otherwise enjoy a feel of the city up until your conference, meeting, or business parley is due. Don’t ask me who would pay for it. Where is your sense of adventure?
Fly to Kaduna, Get to Abuja by Road
A distance of a little over 200 km, Abuja can be reached by road in two hours if you first make a trip to Kaduna. International flights do not connect to Kaduna at the moment so you would have to make Lagos your destination and then take a domestic flight to Kaduna where you would then proceed to Abuja by road. This could get a little bit exhausting, but then if you are visiting for the first time, it could be an exciting travel experience.
Hotels with Business Facilities
So you have landed in Lagos and realized that you can’t fly to Abuja for your intended business appointment, that’s okay. 5 star hotels in Lagos provide excellent business center facilities ranging from fax, scanning, photocopying to internet enabled rooms. They also have conference rooms where a group can host a meeting and relay via Skype for example.
Travel by Road
If you absolutely have to be in Abuja for your meeting, taking a road trip to Abuja isn’t exactly a bad idea. It is great even. Several transport companies can provide you and your team, with a charter service in comfortable buses. You would get to enjoy the scenery of the landscape of several towns, cities and villages. And you would have seen Nigeria much more than simply flying over it.

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