Rating of Nigeria’s airports may enhance re-modelling project
The recent rating of Port Harcourt
International Airport as the worst in the
world by sleepingInAirports.net may
have prompted the announcement by the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN) last week, that the re-modelling
works at the facility and others in the
country would be completed in 2016.
The authority assured the public that the
situation was under control, as FAAN
was doing everything possible to proffer
solution to the challenges faced by all
airport users, within the shortest time
possible.
FAAN also stated that it would continue
to upgrade facilities at the nation’s
airports to ensure security, safety and
comfort of all airport users.
Speaking during a working visit to
supervise the on-going construction
works at the airport, the Managing
Director, FAAN, Saleh Dunoma assured
the general public that the project would
increase capacity and ensure delivery of
efficient services at world-class
standards and best practice as
prescribed by the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO).
SleepingInAirports.net is a travel website
that reviews the best and worst airports
in the world. The website annually
conducts a survey by asking air
travellers to rate their airport
experiences based on services and
facilities available within the terminal,
cleanliness, customer service, comfort
and their overall airport experience.
However the rating did not go down well
with the Federal government, as the
airport is still under remodelling
process, thereby not reflective of the
reality of Nigerian airport
Indeed, Port Harcourt airport
construction work is ongoing; the
terminal in particular, is undergoing re-
modelling with some of its terminal
operations still conducted in a
temporary structure (tent). Apart from
the on going re-modelling of the existing
domestic terminal, from which both
international and local flight operations
are conducted, construction work is also
in progress at the site of the new
international terminal, among other
projects at the airport.
Consequently, the Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello
recently stated in Lagos that Nigerian
airports are not as bad as portrayed in
the survey, though there were challenges
at some of the international airports
owing to construction works that are
ongoing, stressing that the challenges
would be over as soon as the projects are
completed.
According to her, the constructions in
the new terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja
and Port Harcourt would be completed
and commissioned by the first quarter of
next year.
Her words: “It is up to readers to agree
or to disagree on the rating. When I saw
the rating, the question I asked is that do
we still have touts at the airports, are
our airports dirty, are we corrupt, do we
agree with all those questions? It is
something that I cannot categorically say,
‘yes we are corrupt, our airports are not
clean, and our airports are congested,
and so on’. I am sure you can actually
see if these airports are actually dirty, if
they are full of touts and if they are
chaotic.
“This morning I flew in through Abuja
airport and about five airlines were
boarding at the same time. I did not see
any chaos there, it was a smooth
operation, passengers were going in
their various buses assigned for the
airlines and the whole operation was
very smooth”.
“So I cannot accept that the airports are
dirty, just as I cannot accept that the
airports are congested. If we have a
temporary challenge because of the
construction of terminals that are going
on in Abuja for instance, we all know
that there is a lot of work going on there.
If we have temporary challenge, it is
something that will come to past
immediately the terminals’ re-modelling
is completed”, she added
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of
FAAN, Saleh Dunoma said: “tha those
airports that are termed unviable but it
is our belief with time these airports will
be viable. But what we need to do is to
look at these airports and develop them
strategically based on what we want
them to be in future. We are thinking
along that line, lets’ develop some
airports as maintenance centres for
example so that in those airports you can
build hangars and technical facilities
that will support the hangars. So such
airports can be developed in those
airports and that will bring business to
those airports.
While some airports are strictly
passengers and cargo; some airports can
be developed along the line of
agricultural export. If you do that then
that airport becomes viable. So we are
talking to government and also planning
to see that airports are followed based
on what they are suppose to do in the
nearest future so that the facilities you
put in that airport depends on what you
want the airport to be”, he stated.
Also the Authority in a statement
recently said: “Our stand therefore is
that the said ranking was unfounded as
it did not take cognisance of the fact that
the Port Harcourt Airport terminal was
still undergoing remodeling with some of
its terminal operations still conducted in
a temporary structure (tent).
“Apart from the on-going remodeling of
the existing domestic terminal, from
which both international and local flight
operations are conducted, construction
work is also in progress at the site of the
new international terminal, among other
projects at the airport”.
“We sincerely believe that operations at
such an airport, where construction
work is going on simultaneously with
normal flight and related operations,
cannot be as conducive as those in
airports where there are no on-going
construction projects. Neither can
environments at such different scenarios
be equally ‘clean.’”
FAAN said it was aware of the enormous
challenges posed by the peculiar
operational situation at the Port
Harcourt International Airport and that
is why it has taken several measures to
alleviate the difficulties faced by
passengers and other airport users at the
airport.
It added that the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, MMIA1 in Lagos,
where the lounge area space has been
expanded to at least, three times its
original size, last year. The immigration-
processing desk has been increased from
8 counters to 44, enabling faster
processing.
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