Eid-el-fitr: Ilorin airport records high turnout of passengers
![](http://thenationalpilot.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ilorin-airport-1.jpeg)
By Matthew Denis
Ahead of the Eid-el-fitr celebration on Tuesday passengers traffic
increased drastically at the Ilorin International Airport at the
weekend, Pilot Aviation can report.
Our Aviation correspondent observed influx of in-bound passengers at
the airport as many people from various parts of the country have
continued to arrive Ilorin, the Kwara State capital for the Sallah
celebration.
Recall that the Federal Government had declared Tuesday and Wednesday
as public holiday to mark the festival.
Findings by this medium showed that outbound passengers reduced as
inbound passengers increased.
Our reporter also observed from Thursday to Saturday that the arrival
hall of the airport terminal building was filled to capacity with
passengers who boarded both Arik Air and Overland Airways.
Overland Airways that flies the Ilorin route twice on daily basis
recorded three flights schedules on Saturday.
Also, over 60 passengers arrived at the airport aboard Arik Air around
4:50pm on Friday.
Many people were seen at the airport premises waiting to receive their
relatives on Saturday.
Some of the passengers who spoke to Pilot Aviation, at the weekend,
confirmed that they arrived the state capital ahead of the Sallah
celebration.
A passenger, Alhaji Kabiru Hassan said ” I’m based in Port Harcourt
but travelled down for sallah celebration with my family.”
Another passenger, Mrs Fasiat Kadiri Debo who is based in United
States of America, said it has been three years since she left the
country and seized opportunity of the celebration to visit family and
friends in Nigeria.
She said, ” The festive period will afford me opportunity to interact
with family members, hold family meeting and to offer special prayers
for the nation against the backdrop of the current security and
economic situation, and to lift up our people before God, especially
the downtrodden – those who are struggling to make ends meet as well
as the leadership.”
However, despite the increase in passenger turnout, there is no fare
hike by any of the airlines plying the Ilorin route.