Foreign Airlines Fault Relocation Order

Foreign airlines operating in the country have expressed disappointment over the directive issued by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), requesting them to move their airport offices from the second to the third floor of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The Tide learnt that about three months ago, FAAN wrote to the airlines asking them  move their offices to a floor above where they are currently located, citing the ongoing remodeling work as the reason.

The airlines were said to have replied, protesting the directive for the movement as the President Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives of Nigeria (AFARN), Mr Kingsley Nwokoma, said the body was not comforted with the directive because the agency did not discuss with the stakeholders before taking the decision.

According to Mr Nwokoma, “We are not happy, we are not carried along and we feel it is not acceptable and government should know that without the core stakeholders in this industry nothing moves.”

He explained that the airlines reluctantly followed the directive to avoid heating up the polity that would affect the aviation sector.

Reacting to the allegation that he foreign airlines representatives were not consulted, FAAN, said it met with the airlines,  stressing that the directive was based on the rehabilitation of the airport.

FAAN said instead of protesting, the airlines should have encouraged the decision and see the discomfort of the movement as their own sacrifice in the effort to modernize the airport.

The Tide gathered that the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr George Uriesi held a meeting with stakeholders affected by the relocation to inform them about the need to move the affected airlines long before the relocation exercise.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati said the organisation discussed ways to ease the movements of the affected airlines wherein the representatives made inputs.

Mr Dati noted that the planned relocation of the airlines offices would pave way for the expansion of the E and D fingers at the terminals, to achieve a 25 per cent increment in the operational floor area.

“This will also help increase the number of check-in counters to 40 and the immigration counters to 40. At present, the airport has a total of 16 immigration counters while arrangement has also been perfected to readjust the design philosophy to accommodate more commercial offerings,” Dati declared.