By Francis Ogwo
Ahead of the reopening of the nation’s revenue gateways with the airports inclusive, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the apex agency in charge of management of commercial airports in the country have announced plans towards its reopening.
At an aviation webinar recently organized by Women In Aviation (WIA) Nigeria, which had the theme; Aviation: ‘The New Norm in the post COVID’, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said this stage would be characterized with long hours of checks and re-checks right on arrival at airports until departure.
According to her, escorts of VIPs would no longer be allowed to follow their principals into the terminal and such principals will be subjected to all mandatory checks.
In view of this, she said passengers should leave their homes on time to be able to undergo the compulsory checks before their flight times.
“We are going to expect flight delays, flights will experience delays from checks and re-checks. If you are travelling, I will expect a potential traveler to leave home, hours before his flight. Why do I say this? Because there is going to be a lot of checks in the front of the terminal. We have been told that some activities and procedures will take place in front of the terminal. So air travelers are expected to leave home very early so that they can get to the airport on time.”
Speaking further, the FAAN spokesperson also explained that passengers should expect a hike in airfare rates, adding that the International Air Transport Association, IATA had announced a 45% increase in fares.
Yakubj also stressed that a lot have happened to the Aviation sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore, many measures have been put in place to guarantee safety of passengers and airport users. The way of doing things as it’s no longer business as usual while adding that the pandemic would lead to a low demand for air travel due to the decrease in expenditure power of Nigerians.
She emphasized the strict enforcement of social distancing rules, temperature screening, wearing of facemasks, disinfection of shoes and luggage of passengers would also be carried out in totality without regards for status.
“There will be floor markings indicating where each passenger will wait on the queue, arriving passengers will also be subjected to temperature screening. Physical distancing too, will be observed while passengers are waiting by the carousel to pick up their luggage.
“Passengers are expected to arrive the airport with their facemasks on, their luggage and pairs of shoes to be disinfected. Passengers are expected to observe social/physical distancing.
“Passengers will subject themselves to temperature screening and departure halls will be arranged in such a way that physical distancing too, will be observed,” she added.
In her contributory remarks, Mrs. Ebele Okoye who is the General Manager Customer Service/SERVICOM, FAAN, said in reducing contact, the era of bags checking at the airport for contents may become a thing of the past for now.
”I will urge all the airports to consider and make provision for different kinds of passengers, social distancing, adequate information and security and more importantly, Social security.”
Okoye stressed that the purchase of tickets should be done online including payment for trolleys. This, according to her, would reduce crowding at the airports and time spent before and after flights.
“Social security can be done… the airline will notify the people who purchase their tickets online to check online, and decongest the terminal building. No hangers around, touts should be out of the airport, anyone not travelling should not be allowed to enter the airport. How do passengers get their trolley? They can pay online, you don’t need contacts.”
The webinar was moderated by the WIA President, Mrs. Rejoice Ndudinachi, featured the Airport Manager South West Airports/Airport Manager, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba, former Rector, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria with inputs from other top Nigerian women professionals.
