The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has banned protocol officers of government agencies from facilitating trips by their Principals and Officials at airports across the country.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku gave the order during an interactive session with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and heads of security agencies under the auspices of the Airport Security Committee.
The FAAN MD stated the proliferation of protocol services contravenes Executive Order 001 of 2017 of the Federal Government and undermines the protocol activities of the FAAN Protocol Unit and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
According to Kuku, the MFA has the sole responsibility of attending to designated government officials and urged agencies to liaise with them when they need to facilitate trips by their Principals/Officials, while the Passenger Support Service (PSS) of FAAN handles corporate organisations as the services were being paid for.
Also, 11 months after shutting down runway 18R/36L at Lagos Airport, she disclosed that the facility would soon open to airlines for use.
The runway 18R/36L was shut down in March 2023 for 8 weeks of repair, but the repair has been ongoing for 11 months with no specific fate of reopening.
Kuku assured the operators that Runway 18R, Link 3, and E Wing would be reopened in a few weeks.
Also, the FAAN boss called on airlines and security agencies at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Lagos to prioritise passenger facilitation. She asked them to see the airports as an integral part of their duties, saying passengers must have a good travelling experience.
Kuku also addressed the various concerns of the airports, especially the state of infrastructure, which she said may not change overnight, but in the interim, some stopgap measures are being put in place to create some comfort while the major issues are addressed gradually.
Regarding the security screening process, the MD advised that security agencies should be consolidated to ensure that passengers undergo one seamless screening process. The fact that presently passengers have to undergo multiple screening layers, she added, leaves them with a bad travel experience.
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