Passengers and concessionaires who use the airport will begin to heave a sigh of relief as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) commences a facelift on some of the facilities.
The current action by FAAN was the outcome of the unscheduled visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja by Yemi Osinbajo, the acting president for inspection.
Passengers who spoke to BusinessDay said that they await the upgrade of facilities at the airport; as this will enable them have seamless travel experience, while concessionaires said the development will in the long run increase patronage, as the environment will encourage longer stay at the arrival and departure areas.
“We can leverage improved facilities at the airport to encourage passengers to stop by and have a quick lunch, breakfast or even dinner before they catch their flight, since the environment will be conducive for them to stay and experience what we have offer,” a shop owner told BusinessDay at the airport.
He also noted that improved facilities will make customers happy and happy customers will always come back. “Even if we have good services and food to offer customers, they may not enjoy it if the environment is not conducive for them. So, this development will benefit us on the long run.”
Saleh Dunoma, managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has given a marching order to engineers to commence repair works on all equipment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) with immediate effect.
Dunoma gave the directive to the engineers and the airport manager after inspecting the facilities at the airport last week.
During a thorough inspection that lasted for hours, Sadiku Abdulkadir Rafindadi, the FAAN boss in company of FAAN Director of Commercials and Business Development, and other top management staff inspected the escalators, conveyor belts, departure terminal, arrival terminal and other sections of the airport.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the tour, Dunoma said the tour had become necessary because the president has visited the MMIA recently; pointing out that the visit with his technical team is to come up with plan to implement his instructions immediately.
On the outcome of the tour, Dunoma said “there are few things we need to fix immediately. I say immediately; immediately means immediately. This is a Presidential directive. We will not waste time and that is why you see us working on a Saturday. We just have to come up with strategic implementation plans so that we don’t disrupt operations.”
According to Dunoma, there are some few mechanical equipment like the travelators that needed to be fixed. Other areas according to him are some few toilet facilities and some other external facilities that affect what is functional inside.
“We have a contract on the chillers. Funding has been a problem for us but we are pushing to see that it is fixed,” he said.
IFEOMA OKEKE
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