- Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Ongoing transformations at Nigerian airports are deliberate and geared towards enhancing passenger-experience and boosting a positive image of the country, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, has said.
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), said the transformations include zero tolerance for activities inimical to passenger safety, particularly harassment and touting within and around airports vicinities.
Commending NANTA’s strategic advocacy for fair play in the aviation sector, she promised 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 said.
Describing as critical to the ongoing transformation at the airport the request for a space for dedicated NANTA Help Desk at the airports across the country for travelers’ awareness and information sharing, Kuku urged NANTA to submit names of members to 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 stated.
She further directed NANTA to engage FAAN Director of Special Duties and the Public Relations Department to immediately work out modalities for collaboration, adding: “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 by unauthorised persons around airport premises. There is also the collusion between some airline staff and ticket rocketeers, which fuels the unauthorised sale of tickets of no-show passengers under different names.
“All these we intend to tackle in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).”
Earlier, NANTA President, Folami, had commended the airports transformation projects under Kuku and requested for strategic partnership and collaboration with FAAN to enthrone a system clean-up, eliminate touting and ensure seamless passenger transfer services.
“We at NANTA are impressed with your work ethics, particularly on the transformation of our airports, which is an added premium value to marketing Nigeria to the world,” Folami stated. “To help passengers access information, we request for a NANTA dedicated pavilion at our airports across the country.
“We are also concerned about touting by unauthorised persons around airport vicinities and wish to see airlines mandated to establish proper queue lines to help improve orderliness at check-in counters.”
He also sought a platform for continuous engagement in order to enhance inbound and outbound traveller experience and satisfaction when accessing Nigerian airports.
He was accompanied on the courtesy call by the NANTA Second National Deputy President, Dr. Dagunduro Olatokumbo, Vice President, Lagos Zone, Yinka Olapade, Treasurer, Lagos Zone, Adekunle Oluwole, and Publicity Secretary, Lagos Zone, Yewande Philip-Ogunbiyi, among others.
