MMIA management decries indiscriminate parking of aircraft at airport
Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
The management of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport MMIA Ikeja has condemned indiscriminate parking of aircraft on parking lots of the airport
The regional manager South West Mrs Victoria Shin-Aba in an interview in Lagos said local operators operating international flights have taken over the open bay of the MMIA making it difficult for other operating international airlines to secure parking lots on arrival.
According to Shin-Aba, airport management was not against any airline bringing in aircraft but that the management of MMIA should be duly informed prior to the arrival of the aircraft to enable the authority to provide a suitable place where it will not affect its operations.
She explained that three aircraft belonging to a Nigerian carrier have been parked for over four years while another was parked for over one year and urged them to consider the small space available at the airport.
“We are not against new airlines operating here, we welcome new operators and we are not hostile but prior notice should be given when an aircraft is coming in.
The international airlines always notify us whenever they are bringing in a bigger aircraft to enable us to provide space for them”
She disclosed that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN was ready to grant a waiver on parking for any airline operator ready to park at Enugu, Ilorin and Port Harcourt airports as a result of the congestion of MMIA adding that the operators were not willing to accept the offer.
