Travellers respond to airport terminal wars

Travellers at the Murtala Mohammed Airport have expressed their views on the recent tussle between Arik Air and Bi-Courtney over control of the General Aviation Terminal. Although majority of the travellers would say nothing, a few others commented on the situation.

“The struggle for the control of the terminal has nothing to do with me as far as I can get a plane that will take me to Abuja anytime I come to the airport,” said Chukwudi Udoke, a passenger at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT).”

On Sunday, two aviation unions in the country said they would go on an indefinite strike by Wednesday if GAT was handed over to Bi-Courtney.

Another traveller who simply addressed herself as Mrs. Ariyo said the domestic terminal should be renovated to suit travellers’ delight.

“I don’t want to say that it should be Arik or Bi-Courtney that is the right company to modernise this airport, but my own concern is that this airport should be brought up to standard,” she said. “Nigerians want improved services, and if they are not in an airport, I wonder where else we could find them.”

Last week, the minister of aviation, Babatunde Omotoba, asked Arik Air to move to the Murtala Mohamed Airport 2. Arik Air responded swiftly.

“Arik shall not, under any circumstance operate in any terminal managed by Bi-Courtney Limited and no form of coercion will compel it,” said Assam E. Assam, counsel to the airline.

Olugbenga Odugbesan, corporate affairs manager for Bi-Courtney also responded: “Section 2.2 of the concession agreement executed in 2003 including the addendum executed in 2007 and the report of the coordinating committee of 2008, vests the right to process all domestic air travellers in Lagos in Bi-Courtney.”

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Reader Comments (1)

Posted by Omoba Anikilaya on Sep 23 2009

As to Bi-Courtney: Is yours the same kind of arrangement that Virgin Nigeria had at the international terminal to the detriment of all others? And when does Bi-Courtney propose to complete the MMA2 project - There is a "five star" hotel that is supposed to be part of the deal you know... And wen are you going to do something about the eyesore that is the former Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi? And where do you propose to find the money to construct a new Lagos-Ibadan expressway? Wobia, ati aje ja'rin ofun ko dara (Greed sucks) For the Nigerian air traveller: For those who have not done so, try going by air anywhere in Nigeria except Abuja and Port Harcourt, and the sensible choices narrow very quickly to Arik. They have NEW planes, decent service, and have done so for the last three years, which is longer than anything that we have seen possible to date in Lagos. For the unions: Make sure that you stay true to the reason for being on strike. It is an inconvenience to us who fly frequently, but at least you declared it correctly, and stated the reasons upfront.