Why passenger traffic is rising, by FAAN

Recent figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) attest to the fact that Nigeria has grown appreciably in recent years, from 13,891,677 passengers in 2010 to 15,899,958 passengers lifted in 2015, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said.

The General Manager, FAAN, Yakubu Dati said this growth is outcome of deliberate strategic transformation by the government in the sector and indeed, a key performance indicator that the reforms are yielding positive outcomes.

He stated that a further boost of confidence came last week when the American Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which had just completed a security assessment tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport gave the airport high marks.

The US team also commended FAAN for what it called consistency methodology in the implementation of TSA Security procedures which are of ICAO standards. The US TSA assessment has therefore provided an elixir to a prior sense of trepidation.

Dati noted that the airports have benefited from the upgrade of Air Navigational Services as well as aerodrome and ground aids, enabling a fine mix of technology and human interface.

Nigerians have had to contend with sad stories about the state of airports across the country but the airports are beginning to attract due attention. Few years ago, some airports cut a sorry picture of how an aviation infrastructure should not look like.

At the moment, findings showed that the airports have received massive improvements with security scanners installed at various passenger processing and baggage handling points that can detect liquid explosives and other potentially offensive materials. New access control and monitoring systems, with tighter access control procedures have been put in place to keep away unauthorised persons from sterile areas of the airport.”

The new CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) systems, according to him have also been installed to enhance security at the airport with perimeter fencing reinforced to keep out unwanted access to runways.

He further stated that FAAN has increased motorised perimeter patrols, and installed remote electronic intruder monitoring systems and security tower observation. The parameter access road has been reconstructed in order to facilitate patrols and enhance security.

Dati noted that the aviation road map is designed to revolutionalise the aviation industry and increase revenue derivable from it, stressing that this entails institutionalising world class safety and security standards, through institutional reforms and infrastructural development.

He said: “The new international terminal under construction will be delivered at the close of 2016, with additional capacity of 5 million passengers. The present terminal which is about four decades old has not been left to its fate. It received a new lease of life following an ambitious facility upgrade.

“The expanded terminal area has added 42 metres in length to the Arrivals and Departures areas at both ends of the terminal, adding 5,830 square metres to the terminal. Simply put, the cramped lounge areas were expanded to four tomes its original size, creating more space for passenger mobility and processing thereby enhancing passenger satisfaction,” he added.

Wole Shadare