The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FAAN

  • FAAN re-jigs security arrangement at airports

    FAAN re-jigs security arrangement at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Friday effected a new inward and outward security arrangement at the nation’s ports.
    This was in line with the recent Executive Order signed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to sanitize operations at air and sea ports across the country.

    In the new arrangement announced by FAAN’s Acting General Manager, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, only the personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), The Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), State Security Services (SSS), Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD) and Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) are allowed to interface with passengers at the airports.

    Yakubu, in a notice to airlines, passengers and the general public, said only the NIS and the NDLEA “ would now operate at Arrival and Departure halls” while the Customs will operate at the arrival hall only.

    Similarly, the SSS and NAQS will operate at the Cargo Terminals only, while the EOD will operate at the baggage hall.

    She said all officers must be fully kitted at all times with their name tags conspicuously visible and must remain within the confines of their responsibilities.

    The FAAN chief said: “Management advice all affected agencies to ensure strict compliance.”

  • Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim

    Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim

    Air Peace and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) have disagreed over a N7 million debt accruing as landing, parking  and electricity charges  at Enugu Airport.

    While the airline said it has paid over N5 million through the Remita platform, the authority said the amount was yet to reflect in its system.

    Consequently, Air Peace has accused FAAN of peddling false information aimed at tarnishing its good corporate image.

    The authority stirred a major controversy at the weekend when the Manager of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Mr. Mgbemena Orjiako sealed off the airline’s counters over an alleged N7 million debt.

    In a briefing, the airline said the action of the manager of the airport disrupted its flight operations for more than two hours and resulted in the loss of millions of naira in revenue.

    Air Peace condemned the sealing of its Enugu airport offices, saying it had made payments to FAAN before the disruption of its operations.

    A new twist to the incident, however, emerged on Sunday when a group that claimed to be representing aviation workers quoted FAAN as confirming that it was yet to receive the payments made by Air Peace.

    Reacting to the fresh claim in a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, the carrier said it furnished FAAN with the evidence of the two separate payments it made.

    The airline said it got reliable information that FAAN had recruited several groups to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower its corporate reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.

    “On Friday, June 9, 2017, we alerted members of the public to the shutdown of our flight operations by the manager of the Enugu airport over a claim of N7 million debt. Upon realising its error, FAAN admitted that we were not owing it and apologised for the disruption of our flights and the inconveniences caused our esteemed guests whose flights were consequently delayed.

  • Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim 

    Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim 

    Air Peace and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have disagreed over a N7 million debts accruing as landing, parking and electricity charges at Enugu Airport.

    The airline said it has paid over N5 million through Remita platform. The authority said the amount was yet to reflect in its system.

    Consequently, Air Peace has accused the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of peddling false information aimed at tarnishing its good corporate image.

    The authority stirred a major controversy at the weekend when the Manager of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Mr. Mgbemena Orjiako sealed off the airline’s counters over an alleged N7 million debt.

    In a briefing, the airline said the action of the manager of the airport disrupted its flight operations for more than two hours and resulted in the loss of millions of naira in revenue.

    Air Peace said it had made payments to FAAN before the disruption of its operations in Enugu.

    A new turn to the incident, however, emerged on Sunday when a group that claimed to be representing aviation workers quoted FAAN as confirming that it was yet to receive the payments made by Air Peace.

    Reacting to the fresh claim in a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, the carrier said it furnished FAAN with the evidence of the two separate payments it made.

    The airline said it got reliable information that FAAN had recruited several groups to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower its corporate reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.

  • FAAN ‘implements’ Executive Order

    Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) claims it has begun the implementation of the Executive Order on Ease of during Business at airports nationwide.

    Its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma said FAAN had taken steps to implement the order.

    He made this known during a stakeholders’ forum  at  the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

    The importance of the Executive Order, he said, cannot be overemphasized, especially because it will strengthen the nation’s fight against terrorism, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy which impedes business activities at the airports.

    He also said it will improve safety, security and passenger facilitation within and around the airports.

    The Acting President, earlier  this month, issued an Executive Order  to “Ease Doing Business in Nigeria”.

    Part of the components of the Order prescribed that there shall be no touting whatsoever by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria.

    The order read: “On duty staff shall be properly identified by uniform and official cards. Off duty staff shall stay away from the ports except with the express approval of the agency head. The FAAN Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Security shall enforce this order.

    “All non-official staff shall be removed from the secured areas of airports. No official of FAAN, Immigration, security agency or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) or any other agency is to meet any non-designated dignitary at any secure areas of the airport.

    The official approved list of dignitaries that have been pre-approved to be received by protocol officers shall be made available to AVSEC and other relevant agencies ahead of their arrival at the airport.

  • FAAN loses over N350m from parking fees

    FAAN loses over N350m from parking fees

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is losing over N350 million from abandoned aircraft parking fees at the tarmac of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of  the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos,The Nation has learnt.

    It was gathered that the loss arose from accumulated fees from 2005 to date.

    Apart from loss to the airport authorities, the abandoned aircraft is impacting on the limited space at the airside for functional airlines.

    A source hinted that FAAN has communicated to the affected operators to remove the abandoned aircraft from the tarmac, but the operators have refused to bulge.

    Investigations reveal that the abandoned aircraft littering the tarmac include four Boeing aircraft belonging to Hak Air, Bellview Airlines, Allied Air and DANA Air, ADC Airlines and others.

    According to investigations, attempts by FAAN to evacuate some of the abandoned aircraft from the tarmac have triggered legal action by one of the operators, which alleged that the airport authority has damaged its aircraft.

    A source hinted that apart from communication in writing, the airport authority has approached the House of Representatives Committee on Environment to impress it on the affected carriers to remove the abandoned aircraft from the tarmac of the old domestic terminal of the Lagos Airport.

    It was gathered that the affected operators are arguing that given Lagos as their operational base, they are not supposed to pay parking fees for their aircraft.

    Apart from Lagos Airport, abandoned aircraft belonging to Chanchangi Airlines litter the Kaduna and Abuja Airports’ tarmac while abandoned aircraft belonging to the defunct Okada Air litter the tarmac of Benin Airport.

    Similarly, at Kano Airport, Kabo Air abandoned aircraft at the tarmac too.

    Experts have however expressed mixed feelings about the 28 aircraft littering airports nationwide.

    “The stored aircraft that are kept at the country’s airports should not be there for people to see because at every approach and departure of an aircraft, it sends a bad message to passengers, especially those visiting the country for the first time,” an operator said.

    An operator suggested that the aircraft could be taken to a different location, such as the museums or schools where students who are interested in studying aviation would have an idea of how an aircraft looks and learn about its various components.

    However some experts suggested that the metal parts of an abandoned aircraft could be melted and used in making cutleries and other kitchen utensils. Others say the aircraft could also be refurbished to become restaurants or offices for aviation companies in Nigeria, giving visitors the feeling they get while sitting in an aircraft.

    “It is the responsibility of the owners of these discarded aircraft to dispose of them properly or use their aluminium parts for cutleries or other domestic purposes,” Dung Pam, Chairman, Governing Board of the Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI), said.

  • FAAN assures on measures to contain Ebola at airports

    FAAN assures on measures to contain Ebola at airports

    Following the declaration of Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reassured passengers and airport users of safety at Nigerian airports.

    FAAN gave the assurance in a statement signed by its Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, in Lagos on Monday.

    Yakubu said adequate measures had been put in place to checkmate the recurrence of such outbreak in Nigeria.

    She emphasised that all measures adopted in 2014 to curtail the Ebola virus were very much in place and had been fortified.

    According to her, the Ebola screening points and detecting machines have been fully reinstated at the airports.

    Yakubu said FAAN was also collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, through the Port Health Service, to reactivate the Ebola Awareness and Sensitisation Campaign.

    NAN

     

  • Buhari makes new appointments for FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, Rural Electrification Agency

    Buhari makes new appointments for FAAN, NCAA, NAMA, Rural Electrification Agency

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Engr. Saleh Dunoma as the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The President also confirmed the appointments of Captain Mukhtar Usman as the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Captain Fola C. Akinkotu as the Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) respectively.

    A statement issued by the Director (Press), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi, said the appointments take immediate effect.

    President Buhari also approved the appointment of a new Board and Executive Management for Rural Electrification Agency.

    According to the statement, the Chairman of the Board is Engr. Umaru Maza Maza, while the Managing Director is Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi.

    Dr. Sanusi Mohammed Ohiare has been appointed as the Executive Director (Rural Electrification) and Engr. Muhammad A. Wasaram as Executive Director (Technical Services).

    Yewande Odia was named as the Executive Director (Corporate Services), while Engr. Alozie Mac and Mr. Rotimi Thomas are appointed non-Executive Directors.

     

  • FAAN, Airport car hire operators clash as airport reopens

    FAAN, Airport car hire operators clash as airport reopens

    There was a clash between Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Abuja Airport Car Hire  Association (AACHA) on Wednesday.

    FAAN alleged that five of its workers were injured and one in a coma after they were attacked by members of AACHA.

    The clash also resulted in the destruction of some property belonging to the car hire operators including canopies and some vehicles.

    Commenting on what transpired between both parties, the Legal Adviser of FAAN, Clifford Omozeghian said: “the problem we have is with the car hire people.

    “They took us to court and the court gave the judgement against them. The court gave some specific order that they should be removed from this premise because they are not registered with FAAN.

    “The court empowered the airport manager to act as a bailiff in order that this order be executed. We have tried all possible means when we sought to execute the judgement.

    “These people who are so violent. They came hard on our staffs, they broke some people’s head, some people were rushed to the hospital, we had some persons who fell into a coma.

    “So we had to send a petition to the Inspector-General Police because we were being intimidated and harassed.

    He further said: “The IGP immediately ordered that his men be on the ground to investigate the issue. They were here yesterday, and some persons were arrested and the place evacuated.

    “We had to barricade the main carpark in order to maintain sanity but by this morning, these same persons who have constituted themselves as a menace to the authority came again in full force and forcefully removed the barricade that was placed there.

    “When some of our security men approached them, they lynched some of them, they beat them up seriously, and this is embarrassing to us.

    “You can not force yourself on us, the law is so clear about that. They are not registered with us, the court has said that, but they said they must impose themselves on us. So that is where we are now.

    On the number of FAAN officials affected, he said: “We have about five men beaten this morning, we have one in coma and we have one on admission right now.

    Some of them were arrested on Thursday, we do not know what is happening right now but we expect the policemen to continue their investigations and invite us to come for further briefings.

    Reacting to the allegations raised by FAAN, one of the Board of Trustees of the association, Chief Uche Chinese said FAAN was only trying to intimidate some of its members.

    He denied having any physical confrontation with officials of FAAN.

    According to him: “They came here with personnel of SARS  and you know that they carry arms. It’s only a mad man that will want to fight someone who was carrying arms.

    Also speaking, Mr. Victor Chuba said: “We were here at the car park and they came to us with a team of SARS and they asked for Alhaji Dele, when they chained his legs and hands.

    “They arrested four other people and asked every other persons to remove his or her cars that we are not supposed to be at the airport because they said we are not legitimate concessionaire but we told them we were but we were forcefully removed and they went ahead to destroy our canopies and spoilt some of the cars.

    On what he suspects to be responsible for the clash,  Chuba said: “FAAN wants to impose other companies on our association.

    “We are concessionaire and the space we occupy presently was given to us by FAAN but now they want to intimidate us.

    “The painful thing is that members now carry one turn per week, we find it difficult to fend for our families and now they are trying to impose N2000 daily payment on us.”

    On whether the clash in any way affected the security of passengers, the Chief Security Officer of the airport, Akewusola Adisa said: “The actions did not affect the security of our passengers.

    “The security of our passenger is intact and our men are on ground to ensure that there is law and order. We have registered car hire and they are fully on ground doing their business. Everything is intact, the runway completed.

    “If you look around you will see that there is business as usual. We have come to term with the period we said we were going to use even before the day; you saw that we commenced operations on Today.”

  • FAAN to eliminate touting at Lagos Airport

    TO curb illegal activities and touting at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Ikeja, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has set up a  34-member task force to sanitise their operations.

    There are 17 organisations at the Hajj and Cargo terminal. Some of them are NAHCO, SAHCOL, DHL, Police, Customs, Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Services (DSS), Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs agents.

    Others are Allied Air Cargo, Emirates, Air France/KLM, British Airways, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Port Health, Ethiopian Airlines and National Agency for Food Drug and Control (NAFDAC) among others.

    Each organisation is expected to submit names of two members of staff as members of the committee.

    Activities at the terminal has been restricted to 12 hours (7am-7pm) from the initial 24-hour period.

    FAAN said the exit and entrance gates at the terminal would henceforth be opened for commercial activities from 7am while the gates are to be locked at 7pm.

    FAAN, however, said the new regime would not affect the operational activities, but commercial activities within the terminal.

    Commenting on the new initiative, Terminal Manager, Hajj and Cargo, Mr. Asizehi Musa, said the essence of the taskforce was not to threaten any agency or operator, but to ensure sanity at the terminal, reduce touts and touting activities and make the nation’s airports in compliant with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

    He said with the new approach, no truck would henceforth be allowed to spend the night at the terminal, adding that the management had over the years frowned at such practices.

    To make the new initiative a success, Musa said FAAN would provide a patrol vehicle, which would monitor activities at the terminal and ensure that only those who have business within the terminal are allowed.

    Musa assured that FAAN would cooperate with all stakeholders, especially cargo agents, Nigeria Customs Service, ground handling companies, the Nigerian Police and other stakeholders within the terminal.

    He said: “For many years, the issue of access control has been on the front burner and it seems the FAAN is incapacitated, which is not true. But, we can’t allow things to continue like this. Access control is very important and necessary to the safety of all users. The era of 24-hour operation would be a thing of the past.

    “As from this moment, activities are now reduced to 12 hours and I seek the cooperation of all. However, there will be sensitisation exercise before the taskforce commences work in full. But, the restriction exercise does not affect operation areas. It’s only for commercial purpose.”

  • Abuja airport ready for re- opening , says FAAN boss

    Abuja airport ready for re- opening , says FAAN boss

    Forty one days after its runway was shut for major repairs, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport ( NNIA), Abuja will re- open on Monday April 17, 2017, the Managing Director , Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma has disclosed.
    Dunoma said everything about the Abuja Airport runway is ready, but, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) is expected to carry out certification of the aerodrome to ascertain compliance with operational standards .
    The certification, Dunoma said will be completed in two days, before the airport runway will open for commercial flights on April 19, 2017.
    Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Dunoma said the two days certification window is to allow NCAA make corrections and possible close any open item in line with civil aviation requirements.
    “ We will be ready by Monday on April 17 , 2017 but we are leaving the remaining two days for Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority .
    ” This is because the NCAA has to certify the airport that what we have done is in accordance with their standards.
    ” After the NCAA do that, we will bring in the traffic. But if they do not, we have the opportunity of making corrections with the two days we have saved.”