Murtala Muhahammed Airport, LagosThe Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has closed down and, therefore, withdrew its services from the Murtala Muhammed Airport II (MMA2) terminal in Lagos; Gombe, Kebbi and Delta state airports.
The action, which takes effect from today, Monday, according to the Authority, is in protest against a debt of N2.608 billion allegedly owed by the facilities.
In a notice To Airmen (NOTAM) worldwide on Saturday, FAAN said that it would be withdrawing aviation security, firefighting and rescue operations from Osubi, Gombe and MMA2 beginning midnight Sunday, December 9, 2018.
Experts described these as safety critical services without which no airport could process flights. Findings revealed that the alleged debt profiles of the facilities as Gombe airport, N607 million; Kebbi, N124 million; Osubi airstrip N77 million.
The breakdown of a N1.9 billion debt owed FAAN by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) as at July 31, 2018 showed N1.4 billion for the provision of aviation security; N143.5 million for fire/safety cost; marshalling, N2.2 million; and an undisclosed management cost.
It will be recalled that the MMA2, one of the best operating terminal in the country, has been the subject of protracted legal dispute between BASL, its concessionaire, on the one hand, and FAAN and the Federal Government on the other. While FAAN alleged it is owed a debt of N1.9 billion for support services rendered to the terminal from 2007 till date, BASL demanded that FAAN and the Federal Government obey a court order and pay N200 billion for running the GAT illegally.
The development, as Yuletide nears, could result in more chaotic scheduled services for airlines and passengers.
But Osubi airfield in Warri, Delta State, denied it owes FAAN. T
he private facility said it has not been dependent on the agency’s services in the last two years. “Therefore the so-called withdrawal of services at Osubi is false, a misinformation and abuse of standards,” the management said.
Operating airlines have started migrating from MMA2 to the nearby General Aviation Terminal (GAT) also in Lagos.
