Fresh fact emerged at the weekend that the activities of Fixed Based Operators (FBO), including Executive Maintenance and Repair Organization (MRO), Execujets and Caverton Helicopters will not erect any obstacle to the jet way for the new international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Investigations by The Nation revealed that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Ministry of Aviation have concluded plans to relocate other hangar facilities that pose a hindrance to the expansion of the airside of the new terminal.
Specifically, aviation authorities have issued relocation notices to organizations whose facilities will be demolished to enable the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) complete work on the terminal billed for inauguration before the end of March 2022.
Industry experts say assets worth over N20 billion may be lost to the demolition.
FAAN, it was learnt, is already reaching out to Evergreen Apple Nigeria, Dominion Aviation Limited and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) whose facilities are slated for demolition.
nvestigations by The Nation revealed that the new terminal built in Lagos by CCECC has not been put into use due to lack of maneuvering space and access for aircraft that would board and disembark passengers at the terminal.
It was learnt that officials of the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN had inspected the area and have started holding talks with the affected companies on how to relocate their operations to the new location.
A source hinted:” What happened was that senior officials from the Ministry came some time ago to relocate Evergreen. When they came, they finally found a place where they are going to put Evergreen, they have given them land; it is just after the cargo terminal area. And they also gave Dominion a place there. What they have to do is to disassemble what they have here and go and assemble them back there.
We have an airport facility that is ready but they are not using it because of those two hangars. It is not the fault of the hangar owners; it is the fault of the Minister at that time for not carrying FAAN engineers along in choosing a place where the new terminal would be built. They went and located that terminal at the wrong side of the airport.”
