The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FAAN

  • Stakeholders commend FAAN over ICAO audit

    Stakeholders commend FAAN over ICAO audit

    Stakeholders and operators have commended the efforts of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma for pulling through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

    President of Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN), Benjamin Okewu said the agency merited the approval given it by ICAO.

    Okewu noted that initially there were open items but a lot of work was done by FAAN and all those problems were addressed and remarked that the agency has embarked on training of personnel, which is not conclusive but open-ended.

    Also speaking, the industry consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe said although the infrastructural status of the airports in the country may not attract a high rating but so much work has gone into safety and security. He said aviation security personnel have been properly trained and they know their job and attributed this to Dunoma’s immense experience in the area of safety and security.

    The General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Yakubu Dati said that before the ICAO audit FAAN focused on providing critical equipment on the airside of all its airports in order to enhance landing and takeoff of flights.

    The authority, he said, continued to work on the rehabilitation and expansion of airport terminal facilities, providing landing aids and provision of runway lighting.

    Dati noted that before the ICAO team came to audit the facilities, the American Transportation Security Administration (TSA) came and completed a security assessment tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and gave the airport high marks.

  • Aviation workers petition minister over FAAN’s multiple taxes

    Aviation workers petition minister over FAAN’s multiple taxes

    • As ICAO chief meets Buhari, stakeholders

    Aviation workers acting under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have petitioned the Minister of State Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, over what they described as exorbitant and multiple taxes/fees imposed on handling companies by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The union, according to its acting general secretary, Olayinka Abioye, faulted  arbitrary imposition of punitive, irregular and multiple taxes by FAAN without recourse to established rules.

    The union accused FAAN of gross insensitivity in the matter, which it said could trigger imminent crisis between the airport authority and ground handling companies, comprising Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), on account of failure to carry them along before any increase in tariff.

    NUATE said it was necessary to draw the minister’s attention to what FAAN had done by attempting to impose multiple taxes without carrying service users along with its attendant consequences on the industry.

    Abioye listed the arbitrary charges imposed by FAAN on ground rent per square metre of office space per annum and workers are to pay N15,000 per annum.

    Meanwhile, the President, International Civil Avia

    tion Organisation (ICAO) Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu has arrived Nigeria on an official visit.

    A Nigerian, Aliu is the first black man to  head the global civil aviation body.

    During his visit, he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and other key stakeholders in the industry.

    Spokesman of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, said the ICAO chief  will participate in  several other programmes lined up in the aviation industry.

    ICAO Council Nigerian Representative, Mr. Martins Nwafor had arrived earlier ahead of the Aliu’s official visit to the country.

    Before  his election on November, 18,  2013, he had served for eight years as the ICAO Council’s Nigerian Representative.

    He was the pioneer Director of Air Transport Regulation (DATR) at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from 2000 – 2004.

    He succeeded Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez of Mexico.

    During Dr Aliu’s 2014 – 2016 triennium, ICAO has established five comprehensive strategic objectives.

    These are Safety, Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency, Security and Facilitation, Economic Development of Air Transport and Environment Protection.

    ICAO has 191 member countries.

  • Reps query FAAN over N7b recruitment budget, scanners

    The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to adhere strictly to the principles of federal character in its proposed 2016 staff recruitment.

    The lawmakers also queried the management of FAAN over non functioning scanners littering the nation’s major airports.

    The advise came on the heels of a discovery of  N7 billion in FAAN’s 2016 personnel budget proposal during its budget defense before House Committee on Aviation.

    The committee berated FAAN management for risking the lives of air travelers by allowing scanners at all major airports in the country to breakdown for such a long period.

    The Nkeruka Onyejiocha-led Aviation Committee also questioned FAAN on the installation of a specialised N52m detector at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos alone.

    The committee sought explanation for the N300 million budgeted for bush clearing and land reclamation, in addition to money proposed for tractors and slashers for grass maintenance.

    In his defense, FAAN’s Acting Managing Director, Saleh Dumona, said the N7billion difference noticed in the proposal was meant for recruitment of staff into the organization’s security, fire and rescue units.

     

  • Female passenger dies in Lagos airport toilet

    A mild drama unfolded on Wednesday at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, when a middle – aged female passenger billed to travel with Etihad Airways died inside one of the toilets at the airport.

    Though details about the circumstances that led to her death were sketchy at press time, she was believed to be traveling for medical treatment abroad.

    The deceased was said to have suffered a bout of pain that made her to rush to the toilet where she died.

    The Spokesman of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, confirmed the incident.

    He said the agency was investigating the death and would give details of what happened later.

  • FAAN begins airfield lighting at airports

    FAAN begins airfield lighting at airports

    •Infrastructure gap to be bridged for ICAO audit

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the weekend began the installation of airfield lighting at 13 airports to reduce cancelation of domestic flights occasioned by poor visibility at runways.

    It was learnt that the installation, which includes replacement of dead bulbs and improved air field lighting, would reduce the complaints by domestic airlines that they were losing millions of naira daily over inability of aircraft to land at airports.

    Confirming the development, the General Manager, Public Affairs FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the move to fix airport infrastructure is coming on the heels of concerns by ICAO that Nigeria requires air field lighting at the airports and air sides to enhance landing and takeoff of aircraft even at nights or low visibility occasioned by adverse weather conditions.

    The new step to improve safety is coming about a month after the International Civil Aviation  Organisation (ICAO) tasked Nigeria to take urgent steps to ensure critical safety equipment were provided at the airside of airports nationwide .

    ICAO said problems associated with runways were critical issues that Nigeria must provide to aircraft land and take off in during low visibility.

    Dati said the installation of air field lighting at 13 airports has kicked off.

    The 13 airports are: Lagos, Ilorin, Benin , Calabar, Enugu , Owerri , Port Harcourt , Abuja, Maiduguri, Yola, Kano ,Jos and Akure .

    He said: “In order to urgently install all the necessary landing aids, FAAN and NAMA are collaborating with ICAO to ensure that the provision of airside facilities meets given international standards.

    “I believe by the time we complete the installation of runway lights in these 13 airports, flight cancellations due to poor visibility will reduce to the barest minimum and airlines can fly to these airports in the night. This is our focus and we are working hard to ensure we meet the expectation of our airlines.

    “Some of the airports already have airfield lighting, but we need to replace dead bulbs, which we have almost completed. We decided to concentrate on airport development on runway and provision of airfield lighting and bulbs to enhance safety,” Dati said.

  • Suspected stowaway apprehended at Lagos airport

    Vigilant Aviation Security staff of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Wednesday apprehended a man, Mr. Alabibu Olushola, who attempted to stow away in a taxing aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    The General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the culprit was arrested as soon as he scaled the perimeter fence near the moving aircraft.

    Dati said after interrogation by the Aviation security staff, the culprit was immediately handed over to the police for further interrogation.

    Dati said:” Authority wishes to remind members of the public that access to restricted areas of the airport, including the tarmac and perimeter roads, is prohibited for unauthorized people, including airport staff, who have no business being there. This is more so in view of the present security situation in the country.

    “The Authority will henceforth not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any person, including unauthorized airport staff, found loitering around restricted areas of all our airports.”

     

  • FAAN says it has reached truce with Union on industrial action

    FAAN says it has reached truce with Union on industrial action

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reached a truce with the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) over disagreement on workers’ grievances.

    The union had served the agency an ultimatum to resolve the issues or face an industrial action.

    FAAN spokesman, Yakubu Dati said yesterday that the agency had agreed to meet with the union on the issues raised in a letter to the management.

    Dati said: “Whatever issues the unions have expressed we will deal with as a family; their grievances will be looked into and as I said we have already started a process to get to an amicable solution that will not lead to any unrest so we appeal for calm and urge the union to partner us as we all want one and the same thing, the growth of this industry.”

  • 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.

  • Lagos airport’s tools obsolete, says FAAN

    Lagos airport’s tools obsolete, says FAAN

    •Perm sec rules out privatisation of airports

    FEDERAL Airport Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) Managing Director Saleh Dunoma yesterday warned on the consequences of the dilapidated and obsolete equipment at airports.

    Dunoma, who spoke at a Senate hearing by the Ad Hoc Committee on Aviation, said the 30-year-old Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, was critically affected.

    He said when FAAN invited German engineers to repair the airport’s generators, inaugurated since inception, they were shocked that Nigeria still use such obsolete equipment discarded in other parts of the world.

    The engineers, he said, insisted that the generators at MMIA should have been replaced.

    He said no new equipment had been added at the airports while those in use were over-stretched.

    The committee was worried that air conditioners, elevators and conveyor belts were in bad shape.

    But the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello, ruled out privatisation of the airports for now due to non-viability.

    Mrs. Bello said the ministry was awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s response on its position paper for a new national carrier.

    On privatisation of the airports, the permanent secretary said: “I cannot say yes or no.”

    She noted that the MMIA, for instance, had capacity for 11 million passengers yearly; Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja (nine million passengers) and Aminu Kano international Airport and Port Harcourt Airport (six million passengers).

    The permanent secretary insisted that the viability of any airport should be considered before talks of privatisation.

    On a new national carrier, Mrs. Bello said they were asked to present a model that would be good for the country, adding that a committee worked on this and had submitted its report.

    Mrs. Bello said the recommendations were submitted to the Presidency and his response was being awaited.

    On the remodelling of airports, she said money for the projects were sourced through intervention funds.

    She noted that since a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, left, the intervention funds stopped.

    “We depend on budget. We have financial constraint. Budgetary provisions can never fund the over 100 projects we have. The problem of the aviation industry is funds,” the permanent secretary said.

    She agreed with the committee that the arrival hall of the Port Harcourt Airport was an deplorable.

    Committee Chairman Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso urged the management and workers of the airports to sit up.

    He noted that while it was true that there were certain aspects of the aviation industry requiring a lot of money to fix, some others did not need much to keep them running.

    Kwankawso listed conveyor belt, which, he said, might just require oiling to make it function well.

    He asked the managements of the airports to do something about the movement of Very Important Personalities (VIPs).

    A member of the committee, Senator Olaka Nwogu, who said he was speaking as “a dissatisfied Nigerian,” noted that the Port Harcourt Airport was recently rated as the worst airport in the world.

    Nwogu, who blamed the problem of the airports on leadership, said the committee was set up to find out ways and means of making the airports work.

     

  • FAAN to improve cargo clearing at airports

    FAAN to improve cargo clearing at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria  ( FAAN) is working with the Association of Nigeria Customs Licensed Agents  ( ANCLA) to improve the clearing process of cargo at the airports.

    The Managing Director of FAAN,  Saleh Dunoma, stated this over the weekend in Lagos, during an inspection tour of on-ongoing projects at   Lagos Airport.

    Dunoma said in pursuit of diversification of source of revenue from aeronautical sources to other sources, cargo operations will soon become a mainstay of the authority’s  operations.

    According to  Dunoma, the limitations are due to the laid-down procedures and processes that must be followed.

    He revealed that cargo terminals are built all over the country to take advantage of the agricultural potential.

    He, however, assured the  public that efforts are being made to fast-track the system.  He said:”The regulators and operators, that is, the Customs and FAAN, are working together with the clearing agents to make sure that clearing at the airport is expedited.”

    He further stated that the new cargo terminals  being constructed will stimulate exports, especially perishable produce, and will be of utmost benefit to the  public.

    Meanwhile, the proposed cannibalisation of disused aircraft at the domestic terminal of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja is being delayed by the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) pending the outcome of the screening being carried out by its legal department .

    This development was confirmed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications  of FAAN , Mr Yakubu Dati .

    He said  the planned removal of the abandoned and disused planes is being delayed to take care of  legal issues affecting the aircraft and their owners.