The chairman of air Peace and vice president, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mr. Allen Onyema has urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to tackle infrastructure challenges, especially at the Abuja Airport.
Onyema made the appeal at a book launch ‘Air Transportation in Nigeria: The lingering expectations,’ held in Lagos at the weekend.
He said the check-in point at the airport is a bedlam of sorts.
It’s crazy out there. We need to do something about infrastructure, especially at Abuja Airport because delays start from there.
“Once you take off from Lagos, the moment you get to Abuja you must experience delays due to check-in difficulties.
“And I tell the flying public to stop blaming the airlines for delays.
“Remember, there are no conveyor belts; you have to carry all the loads on your head to the check-in point,” he said.
He urged FAAN to increase the number of check-in counters to reduce flight delays experienced by passengers.
“We have written to FAAN on the issue of check-in counters at Abuja Airport terminal.
“The managing director of FAAN spoke to me on phone and assured me they are going to do something about it.
“What we are asking for is expansion. The old international terminal is lying fallow. If some of us (airlines) should go there, we will have enough counters for check in.
“A situation where you have two counters and you are checking in thousands of people, delays will surely come.” he said.
The Air Peace chairman decried a situation in which 10 airlines are cramped into a small space to process flights to different parts of the country.
“Flight delays and probably cancellations may be a topic for discussion this yuletide if nothing is done about the current inadequate counters for domestic airlines to check-in passengers, especially at the Abuja Airport.
“Most airlines have brought in new aircraft from two to ten to augment their operations during the yuletide but the challenge is beyond fleet size.
“This is especially if facilitation is slowed as a result of lack of capacity of the airport to handle flights from Abuja to destinations like Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kano, Uyo, Asaba etc, all at once.
“Even in international operations, domestic airlines are left with three counters to operate.
“However, an expanse of space is given to foreign airlines which is a disservice to Nigerians who are trying to get it right under harsh environment,” he added.
On Air Peace’s threat to pull out of Gombe Airport, Onyema said something was being done about the airline’s complaint.
“Gombe is one place we would like going to. The (state) governor has been very supportive; the people of Gombe are very happy with us. Nut their safety matters more than any other thing
Air Peace loves Gombe; it is a place we started doing two daily flights but now we fly every other day to except Tuesdays to Gombe. The problem is insurmountable; it is something that could be done.
“We have made a report about the faulty screening scanner. I think FAAN is doing something about it. Aviation is all about safety,” he said.
