Concerns Over Abandoned Aircraft At Lagos Airport

Murtala Mohammed International Airport

The abandoned aircraft located at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos are raising more concerns, as owners do not to respond to the official evacuation calls.

A week ago the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) urged the owners to evacuate the so-called planes within a seven-day period, Leadership reports.

The FAAN expressed readiness to dispose of such aircraft in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation saying that the situation posed security challenge at the airport.

Henry Omeogu, the body director, addressed the owners of the aircraft, some of which had been parked since 2005, urging them to immediately do remove the items and prevent their possible use by dangerous elements to perpetuate criminal activities.

“The authority will continue to do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of all travellers and other airport users in line with its mission statement. This is why we enjoin all stakeholders to partner with the FAAN to ensure safer and more secure airports.”

Aviation expert  Thomas Nnoli, stressed the importance for the FAAN to take rigorous measures to resolve the problem.

“I am yet find out if the FAAN’s establishing Act enables it to actually effect deterrent sanctions against people who just abandon their aircraft in the airport. There are both economic and safety implications of this situation. You find out that they do not respond to directives from the FAAN to evacuate the vessels and the authority does nothing against them.

“So I will suggest that the FAAN takes a more serious and deterrent strategy to arrest this situation. FAAN’s laws should be in such a way that it empowers the authority to direct or effect the arrest of defaulters who refuse to comply with directives such as this.”

It should be recalled that the aviation authorities gave a similar ultimatum to the owners of the 65 not exploited aircraft in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, among others, in 2012.

Omeogu narrated that the owners not only refused to remove the aircraft, but also took the FAAN to court posing additional problems to the organization.

“With some of these cases concluded, FAAN was able to remove the 65 aircraft nationwide in 2013 at least for the abandoned aircraft which cases have been concluded.”