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Tag: FAAN

  • Nigerian aviation industry records milestone under Buhari — FAAN MD

    Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), says the Nigerian aviation has recorded milestone achievements within three years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    Mr Dunoma identified safety and security as some of the areas that received priority attention in the industry.

    The managing director told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that some other major milestones were recorded with the complete rehabilitation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway within six weeks.

    “A lot of things have been achieved in the last three years but first of all our concern is safety and security.

    “Safety starts from the runway and a lot has been on our runway especially at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja runway.

    “You are aware that this airport is a single runway airport and it is very critical because it has to be operational all the time.

    “We have been having problem all this while, but during this administration, the government took a decision and sort out this problem ones and for all.

    “It was closed for six weeks and maintenance was done on the pavement and the associated pavement which is the runway to improve the safety of the airport and that was done within time and within budget.

    “Not only in Abuja but we have also done some works on Enugu runway, Port Harcourt runway, Benin Airport runway, Kaduna runway.

    “These are some of the things that has to do with safety to improve the safety of operations into our airports.’’

    In the area of security, the FAAN boss disclosed that the Buhari administration approved and facilitated a special training of Aviation Security (AVSEC) on counter-terrorism, which was conducted by the United Nations (UN).

    He said that the training had enhanced the capability of AVSEC personnel across Nigerian airports leading to the approval by the government for AVSEC personnel to begin to carry arms.

    Mr Dunoma stated that two Nigerian airports – Abuja and Lagos – were able to receive aerodrome certification for the first time in 2017.

    He said the certification was a result of compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety and security standards.

    He disclosed that the authority was committed to ensuring that all Nigerian airports were certified.

    According to him, FAAN is currently working on the airports in Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna.

    For the first time in the history of Nigeria, it is under this administration that we were able to certify two of our airports and three are being certified for now.

    “Certification means that you have complied with all the Nigerian civil aviation standards and then the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards in terms of security and safety.

    “So, these two airports, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and Abuja airports are compliant now, they are certified and now, we are working on kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna airports.

    “We will do the international airports and I am sure that in the next one year, these four airports will be done and then we will continue with the domestic airports.

    “This is also a big achievement because there ere are only few countries in Africa that have certified airports.

    “So, Nigeria is the first to have two of its airports certified and it is the courtesy of this administration because this certification process started 11 years ago but we couldn’t achieve anything.

    “But during this administration, we were able to achieve two and four are in the pipeline.’’

  • Breaking: FAAN discontinues passenger service charge sticker

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has discontinued the use of its Passenger Service Charge sticker at the departure gate of local airports.

    This is contained in a press statement FAAN made available to TheNewsGuru, saying, henceforth, departing passengers who have checked-in prior to arrival at the airport can proceed directly to the boarding gates.

    “As part of efforts aimed at easing passenger facilitation at the nation’s airports, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has automated the collection of Passenger Service Charge at her local airports,” the FAAN statement read.

    FAAN said this is in line with the directive by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) that check-in procedures at the airports be streamlined to improve the facilitation of passengers.

    “With this development, the use of the Passenger Service Charge sticker at the departure gate was discontinued with effect from Monday 19th March 2018.

    “Henceforth, departing passengers who have checked-in prior to arrival at the airport can proceed directly to the boarding gates,” FAAN stated.

     

  • Airports perimeter fencing to be captured in 2019 budget – FAAN

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is making plans to erect perimeter fencing at airports across the country to improve safety and security of aircraft and passengers.

    The general manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Yakubu said the managing director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, had assured that funds to embark on the construction of the perimeter fences would be captured in the 2019 budget.

    She said:”The incidence of runway incursion is a threat to safety, which remains a great concern to FAAN.

    “The incident at Akure airport where cows entered the runway is being addressed. The animals gained access to the restricted area through a gap on the perimeter fence.’’

    According to her, engineers from FAAN are already at the Akure airport to fix the collapsed section of the fence.

    She also disclosed that as part of measures to further strengthen the security of the airports across the country, FAAN had stopped the renewal of On Duty Cards (ODCs) for former workers of airlines and FAAN.

    According to her, this is to ensure strict personnel monitoring and make sure that only people designated to be in restricted areas are able to gain access to such areas.

    Yakubu explained that all security measures had been reviewed, while 10 vehicles were recently added to the ones on the ground to enhance runway patrol.

  • Cow invasion: FAAN sanctions Manager, Head of Security of Akure Airport

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it has suspended the head of security at the Akure Airport, Ondo State after cows strayed onto the airport runway, disrupting flight operations.

    The airport authority said it also queried the airport manager over the incident.

    Recall that the airport runway was last week overrun by cows which disrupted the landing of an Air Peace flight.

    The cows strayed onto the runway at the time the flight coming from Lagos was about landing, and the plane was delayed from landing for several minutes before the runway was finally cleared.

    Henrietta Yakubu, FAAN’s spokesperson, had immediately after the incident apologised to Air Peace and the passengers.

    On Monday, Mrs.Yakubu confirmed that the airport manager and head of airport security had been queried and suspended.

    She added that measures have been put in place to forestall the recurrence of such an unpleasant incident.

    She assured members of the public that the authorities has beefed up security at the various airports around the country.

  • FAAN revenue increases by 68 % from automated MMIA car park

    The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says monthly revenue has gone up by 68 per cent following the introduction of automated operation at the new car park at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

    Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, told newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday that the automation had blocked revenue loopholes since the exercise began at the car park on Jan. 8.

    She said the new system had also reduced rowdiness and vehicular traffic associated with the manual toll collection at the park.

    Yakubu said FAAN would review the performance of the exercise by the end of this quarter and make adjustments where necessary for better service delivery.

    She explained that the authority decided to overhaul the whole system to restore orderliness and reduce complaints from passengers and airport users.

    “Then, we were wondering if all the people that park their vehicles at the car park are airport workers and travelers.

    “Also, we are in an era of technology where people no longer do things manually, but automated.

    “That was what prompted FAAN into introducing automation in its operations. Since we started, there has been a lot of sanity at the car park; there is a lot of orderliness,’’she said.

    According to her, the long queues experienced in the past has been brought under control.

    “If you are not dropping, you are encouraged to go to the car park and do your business there, rather than parking on the road and creating traffic jam,” she added.

    Yakubu said FAAN was also planning to construct a multi-storey automated car park within the General Aviation Terminal, explaining that it would help to boost the agency’s revenue generation.

    Yakubu also disclosed that FAAN was also working on the poor toilet facility at the International Wing of the MMIA.

    “We are doing complete overhaul of the facility so that we can have new toilets for users.

    “We have been getting a lot of complaints from our customers on the state of our toilets. You know MMIA is an old airport and what we are doing is in line with our core value of comfort for passengers and other users of the airport.

    “We believe it’s necessary for us to remove obsolete ones and replace them with new ones, while we are waiting for a new terminal,” she added.

  • Missing Luggage Saga: Tiwa Savage slams FAAN

    ‘All Over’ crooner, Tiwa Savage has slammed the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, over claims that she lied about her luggages being stolen.

    Recall that FAAN had earlier debunked Tiwa’s claim in a statement made available to newsmen. The statement was in reaction to the pop star’s claim that are luggages were stolen on her way to Uyo.

    An angry Savage took to her Snapchat page to react to FAAN’s accusation.

    She wrote:” How dare FAAN try to claim that I would lie about my luggage being stolen? We have made several attempts to reach out and make an official claim but we have just been told that someone will get back to us. I wasn’t going to continue with this as its just material things which can be replaced but FAAN saying that my claim is baseless and untrue is disgusting”.

     

    I must have lost my mind to have attempted leaving Tiwa Savage- Tee Billz

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BdXZu4RhWtW/?taken-by=instablog9ja

  • Yuletide: FAAN assures air travellers of safety, comfort

    Yuletide: FAAN assures air travellers of safety, comfort

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured air travelers and other airport users that her network of airports across the country were fully prepared for the usual surge in passenger traffic that is the norm during the yuletide.

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

    Yakubu noted that security had been beefed up at all airports, especially the major international gateways in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

    According to her, this is to ensure that passengers and airport users make use of airport facilities, without any security threat.

    She said: “At our premier airport, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, a multi-storey car park was recently inaugurated to ease ground facilitation.

    “The VIP lounge has also been renovated to enhance passenger comfort, the carousels are working optimally, amidst other facilities upgrade currently ongoing.

    “The stories are similar at all other airports, as the authority has put in place facilities, procedures and systems to ensure maximum comfort, safety and security of airport users during this season and beyond.”

    Yakubu, however, advised passengers to get to the airports early to conclude all check-in procedures in good time, in order to avoid the experience of missing their flights.

    “This is important because of the heavy passenger traffic that is usually the experience around this time and the ongoing construction work by the Lagos State Government on Airport Road, Lagos,’’ she added.

    NAN

  • FAAN commence reconstruction of Enugu Airport runway

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Thursday began repair works on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

    Mrs Herrienta Yakubu, the General Manager in charge of Corporate Affairs, FAAN, stated this in a statement she issued in Lagos on Thursday.

    She said that the first phase of the repair works would run from Dec.14 to Dec. 21, 2017 while the second phase would be between Dec. 27, 2017 and Jan. 4, 2018.

    “There will be skeletal operations at the airport while the work is ongoing as the runway will open for operations from 0700 hours local time till 1500 hours local time on the proposed dates.

    “This is to enable the contractor has enough working hours during the day time in order to obtain stable and even runway surface, while also completing the work within the stipulated timeframe.

    “In line with Standards and Recommended Practices, FAAN has requested the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to issue a Notice To Air Men (NOTAM) in this regard,’’ she said.

    She said that FAAN apologised to intending travellers and the general public for any inconvenience the action might have on their plans.

  • Photos: LASEMA partners FAAN on effective emergency response

    The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to deploy all her resources, including information, equipment, materials and expertise that will assist FAAN and other relevant Agencies in bringing any emergencies within the five (5) nautical miles of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) under control.

    The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu disclosed this on Friday during the signing of the agreement at the Lagos State Command and Control Centre Alausa-Ikeja. According to him, this will enable the Agency to provide necessary assistance and support as needed during any emergency, including the supply of equipment.
    He noted that the epoch making event started with a team set up a year ago to look into the document, regulations and statutory functions at ensuring that all necessary issues were properly looked into for the mutual understanding of both parties involved.


    While recognizing the security and safety issues around airports in line with International Standards, Mr. Tiamiyu however, seized the opportunity to seek for easy passage of LASEMA Operatives through the Airport Toll Gates and the corridors during emergency situations in order to promptly respond to such unexpected events within the shortest time, nothing that a minute delay is not good for timely intervention during emergency.
    The General Manager also lauded the giant strides of His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who he said is the pillar of the rebranding of the “new LASEMA Response Unit (LRU)” which brings renewed spirit for the safety and security of lives and properties of all people in the State.
    On her part, the Airport Manager Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba, appreciates the Lagos State Government for her proactiveness in providing necessary support during any form of emergency in the past and more recently in the Airport. She emphasized that the signing of the MoU would further deepen the existing relationship between the two organization.
    She also commended the Agency for her active participation and engagement during the emergency mock exercises (organised by FAAN and other stakeholders) and real incidents such as the ill-fated Dana Plane crash and other interventions in the State.

  • Air Peace arrested me, two others for raising safety concerns – Akinfolarin

    Oluwaseun Akinfolarin, one of the three passengers aboard an Air Peace 6:30 p.m. flight to Abuja from Lagos on Monday who were arrested and charged to court for alleged unruly behaviour and for obstructing the operations of the airline said he was being persecuted for pointing out they had seat on their emergency exit aisle.

    Akinfolarin who wrote about the incident on his Twitter page, said he was arrested just because he called one of the hostesses on the flight during the routine safety drill and requested to know why the airline had seats blocking the aeroplane’s emergency exits.

    He said his observation sparked a tense debate between some of the passengers and the airline’s staffers which eventually got him [Akinfolarin] and two others to be forced down by security agents, arrested and taken to a police station in the Ikeja area of Lagos.

    They were later granted bail and told to report to the station yesterday.

    Meanwhile, The airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah, yesterday, in Lagos, said security personnel from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, had to be invited to restore order in a statement he released to newsmen.

    He said: “We wish to confirm and set the records straight regarding the unruly and disruptive conduct of three passengers (two men and a lady) on our 6:30 Lagos-Abuja service on Sept. 11. AirPeace “During the pre-departure safety briefing by our crew, the three passengers began to query the seating arrangement of the aircraft.

    “Efforts by our crew to let the passengers understand that the seating arrangement was as approved by both the FAAN and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, were rebuffed.” According to him, the pilot-in-command of the flight was later briefed by the crew to intervene but the passengers refused to cooperate with the captain.

    Iwarah said they insisted on bringing the airline’s engineers on board to confirm the airworthiness of the aircraft. He said: ”The passengers insisted that the aircraft was unsafe and would suffer the fate of one other domestic airline which had one of its aircraft crashed some years ago.

    “The unruly passengers prevented our crew from continuing with the safety briefing. “Understandably, other passengers on board the flight became apprehensive and insisted that unruly passengers should be taken off the flight.” “The pilot-in-command, therefore, had no choice than to request the unruly passengers to disembark.

    The passengers, however, refused to comply, leading to the captain of the flight calling for the intervention of FAAN security personnel.” “The passengers also refused to refrain from their disruptive conduct upon the intervention of FAAN security personnel.”

    Iwarah said after about three hours delay, two of the disruptive passengers eventually agreed to disembark, while the lady among them was adamant.