Airport Decongestion: FAAN wants airlines to relocate parked aircraft

Abiodun OBA

Airlines whose aircraft are parked at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Lagos Apron and are not deploying them immediately for flight operations, have been told to relocate them to any other less busy airport outside Lagos.

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, South West Regional Airport Manager Mrs. Victoria Shinaba made the plea while conducting aviation reporters on a facility tour of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Shinaba said the Lagos airport has space constraints at the moment as the apron cannot accommodate incoming aircraft who want to process passengers and goods because of the space taken up by unused parked aircraft.

“Currently we have 32 international airlines flying into Nigeria, around 272 international aircraft movement daily for both arrival and departure. On the domestic scene we have 27 arrival and 32 departures while we have 30 cargo arrivals and 28 departures.

“At our cargo apron, the capacity is meant to take four aircraft at least two wide-bodied aircraft and two smaller aircraft at the same time. Once in a while we have more than capacity, once this place is filled up, we take the cargo flights to the international airport and that is additional cost to the cargo airline as they need to deploy and truck their goods from international to cargo,” she explained.

She however said FAAN is making effort to build new apron and expand the existing ones.

She said: “We need to create space for airlines. On the left is supposed to be the expansion and we are on it. Safety issues can also arise due to congestion which is what happens most times. The expansion is looking at increasing the cargo apron to accommodate eight (8) wide-bodied aircraft. So when work commences that is what we are looking at.”

She also revealed that FAAN is addressing the space problem.

“We are reaching out to the airlines severally and not all the aircraft on the apron are unserviceable, some are very serviceable. We are talking to them and some are seeing our reason and we hope to continue the overture. This is why FAAN is willing to waive payment for them if they agree to take their parked aircraft to airports with less traffic, “she said.

The airport manager also said there was urgent need for FAAN to review its bye-laws that deal with the issue of aircraft parking as most airlines, especially domestic airline are taking undue advantage of the existing laws.