FAAN to erect observation posts at all airports

By LAWANI MIKAIRU & DANIEL ETEGHE

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has said all the 22 federal airports in Nigeria will soon have static observation posts erected at strategic locations within the perimeter fence of the airports to forestall premeditated and inadvertent unauthorized access to the airside. This will be complemented by motorized and foot patrols.

This is part of the new security measures introduced by FAAN in all the nation’s airport in order to prevent the re-occurrence of runway incursions at all airports in the country, especially those without perimeter fences.

It will be recalled that a teenage boy beat security checks at the Benin Airport and subsequently sneaked into the main wheel of an Arik aircraft from Benin airport to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, Lagos.

Disclosing this development to newsmen, General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati said that “static observation posts will be erected at strategic locations within the perimeter fence of all airports to forestall premeditated and inadvertent unauthorized access to the airside. This will be complemented by motorized and foot patrols.” He also said henceforth, a security vehicle would be deployed to a point within full view of the aircraft as it taxies out to take-off at the airports as the aim was to maintain visual scrutiny to any situation until every departing aircraft was safely airborne.

Mr. Dati further pointed out that the another measure was to ensure that all bushes at the airports across the country were cleared to ensure full view of the perimeter fence, to allow both the control tower, FAAN Fire and Rescue observation posts and aviation security patrol teams have a sweeping view of the entire perimeter of an airport from their duty posts.

“The absence of perimeter fences at most of our airports had always posed a challenge to FAAN because of the huge capital outlay required in constructing perimeter fences, some of which are as long as 40 kilometres, across the 22 network of airports across the country”he added.

The FAAN GM, noted that most of the projects will commence in 2014 while the remaining ones will be executed in 2015, in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the aviation industry.
“It will be recalled that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has taken the issue of security at our airports more seriously in recent times, as shown in the dismantling and removal of abandoned aircraft at all our airports and the relocation of petrol tankers from the access road of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – feats that had been difficult to accomplish for many years” Mr. Dati affirmed.