FEDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), following the need to negate some of the issues thrown up by public outcry, has moved in to clean up the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) starting from the car hire operators.
Recall, the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu last week did an on the spot assessment of the MMIA trying to ensure some fixes around the airport to make the terminal work better than it currently is and provide a standard benchmark for operations around the terminal.
Already as at this morning the FAAN team has cleared all the car hire service at the MMIA leaving just those of international repute, Avis and Hertz Car Rental, which will be the only companies left at the public concourse.
The Airports managers also stated as part of the immediate reforms that car hire operators are henceforth to remain in their vehicles and not go around canvassing for clients either inside or outside the terminal.
The cab operators will also be mandated to wear uniforms with their name tag of Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria (ACHAN) so as to be identified and separated from touts.
The team has also said it is looking at improving on the illumination as well as working on the signage around the airport terminal.
A senior staff who spoke to Nigerianflightdeck on conditions of anonymity explained that FAAN would not be stopping at sanitizing the carpark as the situation needs far more. He said FAAN will try to do a general stop gap to make the airport more passenger friendly before the new Chinese terminals comes on stream.
He also said FAAN was initiating strategy to decongest the arrival halls which is filled most times with unlicensed operators, or agents and touts who have no business being at the airport but hang around to cause a nuisance.
General Manager Corporate Communication, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu who responded on what FAAN hopes to accomplish with the move said,†The Vision of FAAN states ‘To be amongst the best Airport Groups in the World’, we are only working in line with our vision by sanitizing our airports and making it better for our customers and investors.
“A lot of construction works are still ongoing, we sincerely apologize to the general public and our esteemed airport users any inconvenience caused them and promise to deliver a world class new terminal as soon as possible,†she said in a telephone interview with Nigerianflightdeck.
On how the authority intends to maintain this current momentum, she also explained that FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) will arrest defaulters (Car hire personnel that do not comply with the directives) and the company will be made to pay a fine so they can check the excesses of their personnel.
