MMA2: Regional flights stall after N600m investment

The Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal two (MMA2) is reactivating moves to commence regional operation at its facilities, even as it lamented that over N600m investment was lying fallow about a decade ago.

However, the Head of Operations BASL, Mr. Ewah Blessing, stated that the terminal is ready to commence the regional flights despite the 10-year delay.

He spoke at a MMA2 during a tour of the facilities just as the Acting Chief Operating Officer of MMA2, Mrs. Tosan Odukoya disclosed that over 8000 passengers now use the terminal on a daily basis, saying, “We’ve evolved from being a mere terminal into an integral part of the travel experience for over 8 thousand departing and arriving customers each day.”

However, more concerning to the terminal operator was the delay in the take-off of the regional flights after the N600m investment which it said started in 2014.

It would be recalled that the Chairman of BASL, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN, recently said he was alarmed that the operator was not yet approved for regional flights despite putting in place the necessary facilities without any return on investment.

After taking journalists around the terminal yesterday, showcasing the two gates – five and six – dedicated for regional operations as well as the desks for immigration and other agencies of government expected at a port of entry, the Head of Operations stated that the terminal was ready to go.

He said, “We are all positive that the infrastructures for regional operations are still in place and we believe that in little or no time we will start and at the end of the day, this will be for the benefit of the industry if you are to start regional operations out of our terminal.”

The COO stated that the BASL had embarked on a new journey of collaboration and partnership, “working hard at forging a strong bond with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), under whose auspices we operate as a privileged, public-private partnership.”