Chinedu Eze
The Chairman of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the builder and operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminal, known as MMA2, Dr. Wale Babalakin, has expressed disappointment over the underutilisation of the airport facility due to the refusal of concerned authorities to use the terminal for both domestic and regional operations.
At its conception and approval, the terminal was planned that all domestic and regional flight operations would emanate from the facility, which has remained the best airport infrastructure since it started operation in May 2007, but so far, it is yet to serve regional operators and it is not even hosting all the domestic operations as contained in the agreement between the federal government and BASL.
Babalakin who spoke to journalists during the anniversary ceremony and art exhibition to mark 16 years of MMA2, expressed surprise that approval has not been given to BASL to start regional flight operations, which refers to flight service between Nigeria and other West and Central African nations.
“I am alarmed that we have not commenced regional operations, having gone through the entire process and got certified, yet we have not been allowed to take off. What this means is that the General Aviation Terminal, MMA 1 (GAT) is still operating illegally because based on the judgment of the Supreme Court, the GAT is part of our facility. So I hope that those who have power and who have constitutional authority know that enterprises are encouraged when the rule of law is followed. Once you follow the rule of law, your country will become an investment destination, but if people are looking at us from afar, seeing simple agreements not being honoured, it puts us in a negative light and it is not good for anybody in the country,” Babalakin said.
According to him, BASL will legally continue to push to ensure that the rightful thing is done by allowing the facility to operate regional service and also to ensure that all domestic airlines carry out all their local flight operations at the terminal.
“We will continue to make our case based on law and we believe that our case is insurmountable, is truthful and is only the best for the country.
For several years after it was completed, MMA2 remained the best airport terminal in West Africa only pushed to third position by the Dakar International Airport, Senegal and Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana. The facility, however, remains the best domestic airport terminal in the sub-region.
It also remains the most efficiently run airport terminal in Nigeria, having been rated by travellers to have consistently been reputed to have the cleanest rest rooms among all the airport terminals in Nigeria,” Babalakin futher said.
On the unique selling qualities of the airport, Babalakin stated, “Well, the first thing is that it was a deliberate effort. The design was a major assignment. We didn’t just start building. We sat down with the best architects in the world to design a terminal that will have a flow. It is the flow that has made it easy for you to access here. You can see the link between the car park and the terminal. So you’re not going through a disjointed journey because you want to travel, you can see that from when you come up the escalator. It is a seamless process till you board the plane. And you can also see that we have been very disciplined by blocking passengers from operating on our tarmac. We find a way of transporting them. We think that it is backwardness to have passengers working through the ramp of the terminal to the foot of the aircraft. It is also dangerous. It only takes one accident and the country will be embarrassed. So, I think that there was a lot of deliberate effort to design an outstanding terminal and to the glory of God it has worked.”
On why the airport has remained number one in Nigeria in terms of facilities and efficiency in its operation, Babalakin said the desire to have a state-of-the-art airport terminal was eventually actualised but it was not easy to attain that goal.
“Well, we give glory to God. For those of you who were here when we started, you are aware of the enormous challenges we went through. We are still trying to surmount some of them. But we have been purposeful. And we have been determined that we will make the best of our situation. So, we thank God for what we have achieved,” the BASL Chairman said.
At several occasions, labour unions have picketed the facility, leaving passengers stranded, forcing airlines to cancel flight amid huge financial losses. Babalakin however said the unions have the right to protest but insisted it should be done under the ambit of the law.
“See, unions have the right to protest, but they must also follow the law. There are principles of law you must follow when you want to protest. As student years ago, one of the things that was prohibited is secondary picketing, What does that mean? You don’t come and block me here because you have a dispute with somebody else. If you have a dispute with me, then you can do whatever is right. But you can say that you have a dispute with another state and you come and block me here, in another state. That is wrong. I think we should find time to explain to the unions that they should follow the rules. Follow the law. Let’s all be compliant. Unions have the right to protest, they should just follow the law.
Giving instance about the introduction of art gallery and the beautification of the terminal, Babalakin said: “You see, the mandate I gave to the management is to create an environment where people can eat, shop, entertain and in the process fly. It is not an environment where you come and queue in the sun because you want to fly. If you decide you want to come and fly in MMA2, we have a gallery full of flowers, you decide you want to buy flowers, have lunch, even sort out your communications issue, or even stay in the lounge which has Internet services. The idea is to give the traveller ultimate comfort while he is in the facility. What we have tried to do is to uplift the standard with the hope that anybody who wants to build an airport tomorrow will have all the standards incorporated into the airport.”
