The refurbishment of some of the country’s international airports has continued to be on the front burner as the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, said the deliberate transformations ongoing at the aerodromes were geared towards enhancing passengers’ experience and boosting a positive image of Nigeria.
Some of the aerodromes are wearing a new look as they are now more welcoming than they used to be, especially the Murtala Murtala Muhammed International and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airports. Kuku, who spoke during a courtesy visit to her office by the Yinka Folami-led executive council of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), in Lagos at the weekend, said the key transformation ecosystem also consisted of zero tolerance against activities inimical to passenger safety, particularly harassment of passengers and touting within and around airports vicinities.
She commended NANTA’s strategic advocacy for fair play in the aviation sector, promising to collaborate with registered travel trade professionals who are members of NANTA.
“We are willing to work with your association to address the concerns you have raised and also strengthen the bond of partnership between FAAN and NANTA for a better and secure environment for all stakeholders in the airport community,” she explained.
On the request for a space for a dedicated NANTA help desk at the airports across the country for travellers’ awareness and information sharing, Kuku stated that the request was critical to impacting the ongoing transformation at the airport and urged NANTA to submit names of its members who shall work closely with the FAAN protocol unit.
“We welcome your ideas and collaboration which will improve the quality of passenger service, provide accurate travel information, ambush misinformation and also help to identify and eliminate touting at the airports, she added, further directing the NANTA leadership to engage FAAN Director of Special Duties and the Public Relations Department to work modalities for collaboration immediately.
“We are working hard to streamline airport transfer services and enhance traveller convenience. We acknowledge certain challenges such as ticket racketeering, especially at the domestic wing and loitering of unauthorised persons around airport premises.
“There’s also the collusion between some airline staff and ticket racketeers, which fuels the unauthorised sale of tickets of no-show passengers under different names.
We intend to tackle all these in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)” the FAAN boss stated.
Speaking earlier, NANTA President, Mr Yinka Folami, who was accompanied by the Second National Deputy President, Dr Dagunduro Olatokumbo, Yinka Olapade, Vice President, Lagos Zone, Adekunle Oluwole, Tressurer, Lagos Zone, Mrs Yewande PhilipOgunbiyi, Publicity Secretary, Lagos Zone, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ojo, Internal Auditor Lagos Zone, Mr Obasa Oyebola, Publicity Secretary, Western Zone, Member Representatives, Mr Vinod Kaurani, Mr ThankGod Oganwo, and Mr Stanley Diagi, NANTA Administrative Officer.
