FAAN to set up magistrate courts to prosecute violators of airport rules

The Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has concluded plans to set up magistrate courts in airport premises across the country to persecute violators of rules and anti-touting regulations.

Olubunmi Kuku, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of FAAN, spoke during a meeting between the agency’s management and heads of security agencies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

According to a statement by Obiageli Orah, director of public affairs and consumer protection, dated August 14, the meeting was organised to intimate airport stakeholders on recent happenings at the airport and educate them on the strategic goals of the current management.

Speaking at the meeting, Kuku said there was a need to enhance passenger experience and facilitation. 

She also stressed the presence of touts and loitering by members of the public as a major challenge to making genuine airport users comfortable.

“There are people who have absolutely no business being at the airport, and they continue to create issues for us,” Kuku said.

“We have an anti-touting taskforce, and as it is, we are going to start the prosecution onsite of those engaging in these illicit activities or loitering around the airport environment and harassing passengers.

“This doesn’t happen elsewhere around the world, and the airport should be a safe space.”

The CEO also mentioned that she is aware of car hire operators violating processes and protocol and warned that such behaviour would no longer be tolerated.

Kuku also reiterated the need to reduce manual baggage search at the international wing of the airport. 

She said a process would be put in place where baggage would go through screening machines, and security officials would view the contents in real-time and only pull aside luggage that requires secondary screening.

“We have to streamline our efforts. We need to improve processes at the airport. This is the 21st century, and we must keep up with the times,” she added.

Kuku further said with the pace of ongoing work, the terminal C of the NAIA would be ready for use by December.

She added that more work would be done to develop more international routes to take advantage of the international terminal, which she described as “extremely underutilised”.