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Tag: Abuja airport

  • New security measures: FAAN advises travelers from Abuja Airport

    New security measures: FAAN advises travelers from Abuja Airport

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said  Tuesday new security measures and arrangement  being put in place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja may occasion flight delays.

    The authority said the new arrangement will require increased time needed to complete security checks on passengers and other airport users.

    The authority, in a statement signed by General Manager Corporate Communication, Yakubu Dati, appealed for the public to remain calm as he said the measures put in place are for their safety.

    The statement read,” The new security network was put in place to ensure water-tight security in and around the airport. It is expected that this might cause some delays as the new measures would increase the time needed to complete security checks on airport users.”

    FAAN, in the statement, advised intending passengers to make early arrangements for their travels and to leave home early on their travel dates, in order to complete their boarding facilities in good time and ensure seamless travel.

    “FAAN will not relent in its commitment to ensuring adequate security and safety at all airports in the country in accordance with the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” the statement concluded.

    Recall that the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika last week received reports from the Ministerial Committee on the Assessment of Aviation Security in Abuja where he said that security issues had overtaken safety in the aviation industry considering the current trend in the global aviation security.

    The Minister received the report from the Chairman, Ministerial Committee on Assessment Aviation Security, Retired Air Commodore Hambali Tukur, who reiterated that said that security was one of the challenges confronting the industry stating that the committee had made some recommendations that would improve aviation security in the country and ensure visible changes in the industry, if implemented.

  • Easter: Passengers stranded at Abuja airport

    Easter: Passengers stranded at Abuja airport

    Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was a beehive of activities on Thursday as passengers tried to travel for the Easter celebrations.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had declared Friday and Monday public holidays for Easter celebrations.

    NAN reports that there was heavy traffic in the departure hall and the booking points of the domestic wing of the airport.

    NAN also observed that some passengers were stranded as there were no available flights for them to travel to their destinations.

    An official of the airport, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said all flights for Thursday were fully booked and that there was no more available flight for the day.

    The official said that the upsurge was as a result of the long holiday.

    Mr Saroke Abdullahi, Deputy Station Manager, Azman Airlines, said there was an upsurge in passenger turnout and that all domestic flights for Thursday were fully booked by Wednesday.

    Abdullahi said that flights to Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and Port Harcourt were the most patronised.

    He also said the traffic upsurge had forced many airlines to sell tickets at their last prices and emphasised that there was no fare hike.

    According to him, every airline has lower and higher prices for tickets.

    He said travelers who bought tickets early were likely to enjoy lower prices.

    “During rush periods like this, airlines sell their tickets at their last prices which is usually higher than the normal period but that does not necessarily mean fare hike,” he said.

    A traveller, Mr Saleh Magaji, told NAN that he was stranded because he could not get a flight to Kano.

    Magaji said he did not expect the increase in passenger traffic considering the harsh economic situation in the country; otherwise he would have booked before Thursday.

    He said he wanted to use the opportunity of the long holiday to travel to Kano to spend time with his family.

    Another traveler, Mr Joe Maduka, said he had rescheduled his trip to Port Harcourt since he could not get any flight for Thursday.

    Maduka called on all Christians to use the Easter celebration to pray for the economic turnaround of the country.

     

  • FAAN to clean up Abuja Airport

    FAAN to clean up Abuja Airport

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said it has engaged a contractor to clean up the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The Deputy General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said this during interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Yakubu stated that the current improvement in the area of sanitation was a direct result of the engagement of the cleaning firm, Lakewood Development Company Limited, by the authority.

    NAN reports that a lot of improvements had been recorded in the maintenance of the toilets at the airport terminal where both domestic and international flight operations are currently concentrated.

    An official of the Airport, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the airport was currently operating beyond its capacity due to the concentration of both domestic and international operations in one place.

    The official explained that the terminal being used for both domestic and international flights was originally designed to accommodate only international operations, adding that the airport needed expansion.

    The official added that the management of the airport had devised a mean to manage the sanitation issues by engaging the cleaning firm.

    The Managing Director of the cleaning firm, Mr. Sam Nchezor, also told NAN that the company was carrying out janitorial services in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar airports.

    Nchezor said the company had deployed modern equipment to ensure that it rendered quality service to the nation’s airports across the country.

    He said the company had ensured that all the toilets in all the airports were adequately taken care of and kept to best standard.

    According to Nchezor, the company is also poised to take management and maintenance of airport facilities to a new level, especially in Nigeria.

    “We have the responsibility of maintaining all the facilities of the airport from ground scrubbing, marble and granites to the top roof of the terminal.

    “We have been able to do our best to bring the airport out of sanitation quagmire resulting from lack of adequate maintenance of facilities in the past.

    “We have been in the service of Nigerian airport since 2013 but before coming to Nigeria, we were cleaning at the Gate 7 of the Heathrow Airport, London.

    “But with the arrival of the new equipment, the company is able to change the face of the airports in the area of sanitation because this is the first time the equipment is being used in Nigeria.

    “For instance, the land sweeper machine can sweep 7,000 square metres per hour and this is what is being used in many world class airports like Heathrow, Frankfurt and so on.

    “We have also trained personnel to handle the equipment both in operation and maintenance and we run our services on a 24-hour basis,’’ he said.

    Nchezor disclosed that the company was making use of human friendly chemicals in accordance with International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) standard, of which it is a member.

    A traveler, Mr Andrew Idejo, said there was improvement in the airport toilets as well as the general terminal, urging the authority to do more to always keep the airports clean.

    Idejo, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the way travelers struggled through traffic jam to come to the airport.

    He called on the Federal Government to complete the ongoing projects to expand the airport and save travelers from unnecessary hardship in accessing the facility.

  • NTDC gets information desk at Abuja Airport

    NTDC gets information desk at Abuja Airport

    THE  Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has unveiled a Tourism Information Desk at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    Its Director-General, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, said the desk would assist tourists with tourism information on Nigeria, noting that the launch was part of the corporation’s efforts to promote domestic tourism and assist in  collating data on tourists entering the country.

    According to her, the information desk will showcase tourism assets because many tourist sites are unknown.

    “The reason we are unveiling this portal is to give Nigerians information about our numerous tourism sites that are not known to tourist. As you know we are promoting domestic tourism which means that before we can begin to market outsider we want foreigner seeing many Nigerians enjoying what we have.

    “Nigeria have so many tourism attracted sites but nobody know them, that is why we are going to different states to known what they have so as to market those sites for the state government in order to increase revenue generation in the country not only that this will provide job opportunity for our teaming unemployed population,” she said.

    She noted that ‘the information Centre would equally assist through ease enquires for both arrival and departure tourist. We have already got approval for two airports, we got approval for Abuja and Lagos to start with and will soon replicate in all international airports in Nigeria.’

    Mbanefo added that the initiatives would also promote security of tourists by recommending to tourists the accredited taxis and hotels in the country.

    “We are partnering with VIKO taxi car hire service at the airport and the idea is to let travellers that arrive the city to know that there is security in Nigeria. With this, NTDC will recommend for them credible and accredited taxi and hotels in Nigeria. NTDC want to use this to market the tourism assets of Nigeria and to improve the image of Nigeria.

    She thanked the Minister of Aviation Mr. Osita Chidoka for providing NTDC with a bigger space where it would easier for the corporation to market Nigeria.

    “We want Nigerians to know that tourism is here to stay and tourism is here to replace oil,” she said.

    Head of FAAN Communication Mrs. Yakubu Henrietta lauded the NTDC initiatives, saying that information desk would go a long way in promoting Nigerian culture.  “This stand that has opened today by NTDC is truly great as the desk will promote Nigeria and provide foreigners coming into the country and with adequate information on Nigerian tourist sites as well as which hotel to stay.

    “I am happy that this stand is located in a very strategic place in the airport that will allow everybody that comes see the information desk both at international and domestic wing. This is a very good development,” she said.

    In a related development, the corporation and the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire are partnering on tourism development. The Cote d’Ivoire Ambassador to Nigeria, Madam Toure Nee Kone Maman who paid a courtesy call on the NTDC director-general, said the two countries are blessed in tourism ‘hence it is expedient for a synergise to propel the development of the two countries.’

    Ambassador Maman noted that the partnership would ensure an  increase in the tourism traffic between the two countries, adding that the synergy would also encourage investment between the two nations, “and we shall ensure timely implementation of the MoU we would sign with the NTDC.

    Mbanefo assured that Nigeria’s achievement in tourism would double by 2017, explaining that “the fall in the price of oil in the global market has propelled an encouraging shift of focus from oil to tourism.

    She said: “At present, tourism contributes about four per cent to our GDP, but it would have increased to about eight per cent in the next two years.” The NTDC boss reiterated that the focus of her administration is on domestic tourism, that would encourage Nigerians to travel within Nigeria and for foreigners to travel to Nigeria.

  • Abuja airport runway to be shut again

    Abuja airport runway to be shut again

    The runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja which was closed for 30 hours for repairs last weekend will be shut for another 30 hours to complete the rehabilitation process.

    A statement by the Coordinating General Manager of Aviation Parastatals, Yakubu Dati noted that a notice has been sent to aircraft pilots and relevant stakeholders about the development.

    “The second phase of the rehabilitation of the remaining section of the runway would however take place for another 30 hours next weekend between Saturday 12, and Monday 14, 2014. A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to this effect has already been sent to all aircraft pilots and other relevant stakeholders, informing them of the impending closure.

    “The runway rehabilitation is being done in two phases to minimise the inconvenience the runway closure would have on air passengers and aircraft operators if it was carried out at once.

    “The authority regrets the inconvenience the second closure of the runway within one week, would cause passengers and other stakeholders.

    “We wish to assure the public and all aviation stakeholders that the conclusion of the maintenance work on the runway would guarantee enhanced flight safety on the Abuja Airport runway,” the statement read in part.

  • Jonathan tasks ministers on Abuja airport runway

    Jonathan tasks ministers on Abuja airport runway

    Apparently embarrassed by the closure of the Abuja Airport few days to the commencement of the World Pension Summit, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday ordered the Ministers of Finance, Federal Capital Territory and Aviation to meet and work out modalities for the construction of a second runway for the airport next year.

    Speaking at the World Pension Summit, Africa Special in Abuja, President Jonathan tried to placate the visiting delegates, saying that he would address their concern on the airport.

    “We are just trying to resurface the runway. I think the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance (CME), the FCT Minister and the Aviation Minister must meet and the Abuja second runway must commence next year,” the President said.

    Jonathan made the remark while reacting to the concern expressed by one of the co-founders and Co-President of the World Pension Summit over the closure of the Abuja airport and how it may have affected delegates’ entry to the city.

    Though the President did not dwell much on the development, he agreed with the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that Nigeria’s pension assets may grow to $100 billion in the next 20 years.

    “Within 10 years of sustained policy innovation and meticulous management have facilitated confidence and credibility in our pension system and administration. We have also strengthened our pension institution as you can see from the deficit of about N2 trillion then, that is about $12.9 billion in 2004 to accumulated pension assets of over N4.21 trillion, that is about $27.2 billion by March this year.

    “ So, we can see that within 10 years, if we could move from a deficit of about N2 trillion to positive N4.21 trillion, that means we agree with the CME that in another two decades we should get up to $100 billion,” President Jonathan stated.

  • ‘Closure of Abuja airport not out of place’

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has maintained that the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, expected to start on Saturday night is not out of place.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, he said that closure of airports for maintenance is a normal practice across the globe.

    He said that potholes at the airport are already posing hazard to the use of the airport.

    He said: “This was done for obvious safety reasons. We have some potholes that are already seen as serious hazards. And don’t forget that it is the only runway that lands our President, all the VIPs, all the investors that come into this country.”

    “So, at the last time, there was a technical audit by FAAN in keeping with international regulations and they opened items on the country, component among them was the Abuja runway. So, we now had series of meetings with the minister of aviation and the airlines and agreed that from 12 o’clock on Saturday midnight to Sunday that Julius Berger will take enough time to repair the runway and commence navigation once again.”

    “So, it is just for pure maintenance programme based on safety reasons and it is welcome by all of us.”

    On alternative landing places, he said: “Well all over the world they know that we have one runway in Abuja. The next thing anybody can do is to look for the nearest airport close to Abuja either Kaduna or Minna and then choose whether it will make a better business sense to land there or not to fly at all.”