Nigeria: FAAN gears up to handle 30m passengers, prepares for ICAO Audit

The Airport Managers said that currently they handle 15 million passengers at the MMIA but have projected an additional traffic of 15 million at same airport this year with the completion of the terminal in Lagos and Abuja as well as increment in other airports being constructed

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that it is preparing to handle the expected 30 million passenger traffic at the completion of works on the nation’s new airports constructed by the Chinese especially the Murtala Muhammed International Terminal and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Terminal.

The Airport Managers said that currently they handle 15 million passengers at the MMIA but have projected an additional traffic of 15 million at same airport this year with the completion of the terminal in Lagos and Abuja as well as increment in other airports being constructed.

Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Communication made this known while responding to questions in his office including how FAAN is gearing up to handle the March 2016 International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Audit.

Dati expressed optimism on a more safe and secure stating that travel will be exciting this year especially when the new terminals under construction are completed and passengers will have that experience they always enjoy outside the shores.

“With the completion of the new terminal in Lagos, the terminal will be able to process additional 15 million passengers which means we will able to service about 30 million passengers. All these are things put together to raise aviation to a new level this year”.

On the preparation for the forthcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO audit in March, Dati revealed that what looked like a mock exercise towards the audit was conducted by the Airport Council International ACI team during their visit on their invitation by the managing director of FAAN.

According to Dati, ACI team during the visit to facilities at the airport, some open areas identified will be closed before the audit date adding that the country will scale through and was doing everything possible to ensure that the country will not disappoint Dr Bernard Aliu as a Nigerian and as the ICAO president.

On the certification of airports in the country, Dati said a team was working round the clock with other agencies to ensure that all gaps were closed.

While he advised airport users especially passengers not leave any luggage behind as any unattended luggage will be destroyed, Dati warned further that passenger to adhere strictly to airport rules and regulations and not to carry any luggage not belonging to them.

He also revealed that FAAN security operatives and other security agencies deployed detective machines such as screening machine, CCTV, full body scanners and personal intelligence to ensure easy facilitation of passengers.

Dati said security has been repositioned across the airports with a view to meeting the challenges ahead adding that FAAN was looking forward to partnering with investors as a result of dwindling resources in line with the minister’s statement.

He appealed to FAAN concessionaire especially airlines to pay their debts to agencies in order to enable them to continue rendering services to them.

He commended the minister’s for their visits to the airports to acquaint themselves with facilities on ground with a view to addressing lapses.