Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport

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.