Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has urged airlines and security agencies in the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos to prioritise passenger facilitation and comfort and the needs of the airports as an integral part of their duties.
She spoke at a maiden interactive session with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and heads of security agencies under the auspices of Airport Security Committee where she affirmed that everything must be done to ensure passengers have good travelling experience.
Whilst the FAAN helmswoman acknowledged the poor state of the airports infrastructure, which she said may not change overnight, she explained that in the interim, some stop gap measures are being put in place to create some comfort while the major issues are addressed gradually.
Kuku advised security agencies to consolidate their processes to ensure that passengers undergo one seamless screening process as she bemoaned the present situation where passengers have to undergo multiple screening layers that leave them with bad travel experiences.
She also decried the proliferation of protocol services by personnel of various agencies and ordered that they be halted immediately as it contravenes the Executive Order 001 of 2017 of the federal government and undermines protocol activities of FAAN Protocol Unit and that of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
She stressed that the MFA has the sole responsibility of attending to designated government officials and urged agencies to liaise with them when they need to facilitate their Principals/Officials, while the Passenger Support Service (PSS) of FAAN handles corporate organizations as these services are paid for.
Airline Operators called for the change of the airport baggage belts and the entire Baggage Handling System (BHS), the re-opening of the E Wing, lamenting the payment for Avio Bridges that are not working properly and improvement of the general ambience of the airports.
She assured airline operators that the hitherto closed Runway 18R, Link 3 and E Wing would be re-opened in a few weeks while the replacement of BHS is underway.
