FAAN commences installation of check-In, screening equipment
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has commenced installation of check-in and screening equipment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja. A statement by Mrs. Henrietta Yakibu, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN said that the agency recently took delivery of the equipment from its contractors.
She pointed out that the installation of the equipment would address the recent challenges in airport operations and facilitation management systems at the two airports. She also said that the agency had procured additional 15 security screening machines, which would be immediately deployed to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and the international wing.
According to Yakubu, the screening machines are currently being installed at the two terminals.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to inform airlines, passengers and other stakeholders that the equipment required for addressing these challenges have arrived Nigeria and are already being installed. Also, additional 15 security screening machines have been procured for immediate deployment to the General Aviation Terminal and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. They are also been installed already. The authority is using this opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders to please bear with us, while the installation would last, as all hands are on deck to ensure speedy completion of the project.”
Controversies had trailed the recent breakdown of digital check-in process at the two airports, especially at the Lagos Airport.
Two months have continued to tag their baggage manually, a situation, which stakeholders and industry players condemned and said may affect the ratings of the two airports.
But, the management of FAAN had consistently assured that the situation would be addressed “very soon.”
FAAN had earlier in the year severed its relationship with Societe International Telecommunication Aeronautiques (SITA), which handled its Common Use of Terminal Equipment (CUTE) system at the Lagos and Abuja for about a decade. FAAN had earlier advertised bidding for CUTE services at five airports, but SITA refused to participate in the renewal exercise, which saw RESA emerging as a preferred bidder.
It was not clear why SITA refused to participate in the procurement process properly as it did through a proxy.
