N808 million airport debt: FAAN stays action on security, fire service withdrawal

• Arik Air reinstates flights to Warri, Gombe, MMA2
  

FEDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) is reportedly staying action on the planned withdrawal of security and fire services to some airports over N808million debt incurred.

Nigerianflightdeck leant that services were ongoing seamlessly as negotiations to defray the debts have been initiated to forestall impediments of operations at airports involved.

Bebi , Gombe, Kebbi Airports are indebted to over N808,610, 160 million with Gombe owing N607, 289, 972 while Kebbi owes N124, 547, 240 and Bebi Airstrip owes N76,772, 948, there are also others indebted like the Osubi AirStrip Warri but its debt as at press time is yet to be confirmed.

FAAN had last Saturday notified airlines of the withdrawal of services to Osubi Airport, Warri, Gombe Airport and other airports mentioned in a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) issued .

By law FAAN is the agency mandated to provide security and fire cover around airports, private and government owed for the Civil Aviation Authority to certify the aerodrome operations worthy.

With this new development, services are ongoing smoothly with airlines heaving a sigh of relief.

” look we were already making alternate arrangements because, any of these would have affected our operations massively and cost us millions,” an airline who wanted to remain anonymous stated.

Recall, in the wake of the NOTAM Arik Air had already suspended flight to Osubi Airport and divert it to Benin Airport while Gombe flights were diverted to Bauchi and flights to Port Harcourt which operated from MMA2 were scheduled from GAT.

However, in the twist of the tale Arik Air has announced reinstating flights to Osubi Airport, Warri and Gombe Airport as well as move all Port Harcourt bound flights back to Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) with immediate effect.

This follows the suspension of an earlier decision by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) to withdraw Aviation Security, fire fighting and rescue services to the airports.