Lagos— The Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, yesterday, witnessed a large number of outbound and inbound passengers as a result of the Eid-el-Fitri holidays.

Most of the outbound passengers were seen in long queues, waiting to board flights to their destinations, while others waited patiently to pick up their luggage on arrival.

Some intending travellers were on queues trying to purchase tickets in front of the airline counters.

A passenger, Alhaja Ramota Abdullahi, said that she was returning from Abuja, where she spent the holidays with her relatioves. Abdullahi, who arrived from Abuja, thanked Allah for the journey to Lagos.

She said: “I went for the Ramadan break in Abuja to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitri with my family and loved ones; now I am back to Lagos.”

A civil servant, Mr. Taiwo Alalade, said that he was travelling back to Port Harcourt as work resume today.

Alalade said he had been on the queue for more than an hour to purchase a ticket, expressing surprise at the large turnout of passengers at the airport.

He said: “Today seems to be very busy, as is the case during every festive period in the country. I travel mostly during festive periods, but this time around, it is a little difficult getting a ticket.

“I travelled to Port Harcourt just for the long holidays, not necessarily for the celebration. But passenger traffic today is very high.”

Mr Damilola Smith, an Abuja-bound passenger, said he was happy to visit his home for the celebration, stressing that the holidays gave him the opportunity to visit relations and friends.

“I almost missed the flight when I was coming to Lagos on Friday. There were too many passengers at the Abuja airport, coming to Lagos that day,” he recalled.

A cab operator, Mr. Olumide Faleti, said that he was happy with the large number of passengers at the airport.

Faleti noted that business for the period had been profitable, with the increase passenger traffic.

He said that he charged between N5,000 and N7,000 per trip, depending on the route of the passenger.