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Relocation Of Foreign Airlines To New Terminal To Be In Phases – MD FAAN - INDEPENDENT
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that foreign airlines operating at the old international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos would be moved to the recently constructed terminal at the airport, despite their reluctance to move.
The agency also said that plans have reached an advanced stage by the management to decentralise essential operations, including the management and the welfare of staff for improved service delivery.
Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, the Managing Director, FAAN disclosed these in an interview with aviation correspondents over the weekend at the Lagos Airport.
Yadudu wondered why most of the foreign airlines declined to relocate their operations to the new terminal, alleging that some of the operators attempted to blackmail the country, but insisted the government would not succumb to such blackmail.
He, however, said that the management had so far relocated two carriers to the new terminal, especially those operating earlier morning and afternoon flights, stressing that this had led to mild decongestion of the old terminal.
Besides, Yadudu explained that the gradual relocation of the airlines to the new terminal would also prevent abrupt system collapse, citing the case of Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, which took the authority about six months to fully move operations of British Airways to the new terminal when it was constructed.
He expressed worry that some of the same foreign airlines had complained about the old facility’s baggage systems and other poor equipment, but wondered why the reluctance.
He said: “The terminal is open. When you commission a new terminal, you have to do an operational transfer before you can move. We decided to start moving in phases. We didn’t want everyone to move at the same time. If you remember, when Terminal 5 opened in London, it took others about six months because of some teething challenges.