FAAN sets to handle 30m passengers 2016

…records hitch free yuletide

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN says its gearing up towards handling the expected 30 million passenger traffic increase at the completion of the international airport terminal building in Lagos this year.

FAAN presently handles 15 million passengers but has projected an additional traffic of 15million this year with the completion of the new terminal in Lagos.

Speaking to aviation correspondents in his office on the activities of the agency on traffic management before and after the yuletide period, the general manager corporate communications, Yakubu Dati, said except for the Turkish airline’s passengers breach that it was a hitch and seamless passengers facilitation.

Dati 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.

He expressed optimism that a more safe and secure airport will be witnessed this year 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,” he said.

Dati assured that 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 concessionaires especially airlines to pay their debts to agencies in order to enable them to continue rendering services to them.

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

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