As part of efforts to improve service delivery at  Airports, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said that  service delivery at airports must  be improved to ensure passengers have value for their money.

This is just as the agency said it has established a Management Taskforce on Service Delivery .

The Managing Director of FAAN, Capt. Hamisu Yadudu , who  disclosed this during  an interactive forum at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA),Lagos ,explained that the Tasks force was put  together in 2008 and that it was borne out of the negative experiences observed at Enugu International Airport, where service delivery was at a very low ebb.

Yadudu said that the department was actually out for awareness and sensitisation but that the Taskforce found out that Enugu Airport was operated more as a domestic airport.

He stated that it was also discovered that interaction of agencies with passengers on service delivery were unhealthy and was not an acceptable global practice and that management was consulted and approval was granted.

Yadudu, who was represented by the General Manager, Customers Service /SERVICOM, Ebele Okoye  added that at Enugu Airport passengers were subjected through sever unhealthy searches and also kept on queue after arrival for hours in the pretence of searching for hard drugs.

Passengers, she explained were meant to declare all currencies even when they have less than the acceptable $10,000, adding that they also go through one on one search to ascertain that no other currency is hidden inside their bodies.

Speaking further Okoye said that the Taskforce also observed that many agencies were found at the scanner on entering the airport which was against the Ease of Doing Business rules of the President.

Other issues which the Taskforce found out includes  agencies that were supposed to be on surveillance were all found searching passengers bags ,many unaccompanied baggage were passed through carousel for clearing which  damaged FAAN facilities, there were obvious begging , extortion of personal effects  and money from passengers..

The General Manger posited that based on the above discoveries at Enugu Airport, FAAN management gave approval to the Taskforce to visit Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja Airports to interact with the passengers.

She added that the group has since visited these airports and that there was huge success in the passengers, staff, and stakeholders interface.

Okoye contended that airport business is a global phenomenon and must been seen as such no matter the localisation .

In his words, “Our emphasis will be on quality service delivery at airports. As persons providing service at airports, do you understand your core assignment? Do you apply it to the success of the operation and to the comfort of the passengers?

On bribery and corruption at airport, which according to her has been on the front burner, she said “We must do all that is within our power to correct those negative conceptions about airport workers. We have come to partner with you also to solicit your cooperation and understating.

She reminded the gathering that in all these safety is priority and must be in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) provisions  and global best practice

The interactive session which attracted personnel from Police, Immigration, Aviation Security , Civil Defence, FAAN Aerodrome Fire , towing company and other organisations at the airport .