PREPARING TO TAKEOFF: MMA2 leads, 5 other terminals tag along, handlers trudging

Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal Two, MMA2, Lagos, Nigeria

Operators in the entire value chain of air transport in Nigeria have been commended for making progress to fulfilling stipulated conditions on which premise the regulator would be at peace to suggest a sacrosanct date to the Presidential Task Force, PTF on Covid-19, for the resumption of air travel once again.

The Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt Musa Nuhu, gave the commendation when presenting the performance scorecard of all the organisations involved in the preparation to restart air travels.

By the scorecard presented on behalf of the NCAA, DG, the General Manager, Airline Operators’ Certificate and Surveillance, Engr. Godwin Balang, revealed that, of all the six terminals designated for the domestic flight initial take-off, the Murtalla Mohammed Airport, MMA2, Ikeja, Lagos, managed by Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited, BASL, led the pack and other five terminals trail behind.

The scorecard indicated that other airports such as Aminu Kano International Airport Kano, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja, had all made appreciable improvement. While the International Airport Owerri and the Portharcourt International Airport, Portharcourt, still trudging behind with less than 50% scores respectively.

While the DG was speaking after the total report was presented, he said that Owerri Airport and Portharcourt Airports had been a source of worry since the program for the reopening started. He however added euphemistically that “we are that close but we are still far”

The scorecard itemised what exactly were the issues that warranted such an abysmally low score- 40%- of the airports which were procurement of Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, provision of hand sanitizers, body temperature measuring device and disinfection of the facilities, among other things,

Responding, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria, FAAN, Capt Amisu Rabiu Yadudu, contested the score credited to the two airports saying it contradicted information from his managers at the two airpor

He said he was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that training, which was reflected among open items on the regulator’s scorecard had already been closed. He enthused that 100% percent of the workforce for flight operations at the Owerri and Port harcourt Airports had under gone training.

He however added there were constraints occasioned by the lockdown which made procurement of critical materials very difficult as offices and major sales outlets were yet to resume full operations. These the MD said had slowed down the pace at which his team would have loved to run and close those gaps.

On the ground handlers, the scorecard revealed there were open items that bothered more on the Covid-19 safety protocols and other few directives as issued by the NCAA in its letters to the ground handlers.

They were reminded to adhere strictly to the manufacturer recommendations as found in the Original Equipment Manufacturer, OEM, of the aircraft for efficient and effective cleaning purposes. The ground handlers were scored 75% and the few gaps remaining were those that bordered on the Covid-19, safety protocols.