The managing director and chief executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has expressed the need for airlines and security agencies at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to make passenger facilitation and comfort their utmost priority.
She made the appeal during her maiden interactive session with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and heads of security agencies under the auspices of Airport Security Committee in Lagos.
Kuku advised security agencies to consolidate their processes to ensure that passengers undergo one seamless screening process.
He noted that passengers are left with bad travel experience as they currently have to undergo multiple screening layers, she added.
She frowned upon the proliferation of protocol services by the personnel of various agencies.
She called for an immediate stop to the practice, saying it contravenes the Executive Order 001 of 2017 of the federal government and undermines protocol activities of FAAN protocol unit and that of ministry of foreign affairs.
She stressed that the ministry of foreign affairs has the sole responsibility of attending to designated government officials and urged agencies to liaise with them when they need to facilitate their principals/officials, while the passenger support service of FAAN handles corporate organizations as these services are been paid for.
The managing director also addressed the various concerns of the airports especially the state of infrastructure, which she said may not change overnight, but in the interim, some stop gap measures were being put in place to create some comfort while the major issues are addressed gradually.
For its part, the AON shared its pains with the FAAN chief, pointing out issues concerning the baggage belts and the entire baggage handling system, the re-opening of the E Wing, payment for avio bridges that are not working properly, general ambience of the airports, among others.
Responding, Kuku emphasised her belief in the system of honesty and accountability and apologised for all the inconveniences the airlines have had to endure.
She assured the operators that Runway 18R, Link 3 and E Wing would be re-opened in soon, adding that the replacement of the baggage handling system was underway.
On the issue of service legal agreement and contracts not revisited, Kuku promised to investigate and make appropriate consultations.
Present at the interactive session were the directors of legal services and company secretary, Mrs. Bridget Gold; public affairs and consumer protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah; engineering services, Mrs Muniru Abiola and airport operations, Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood.