FAAN boss laments infrastructure decay in Nigerian airports

Managing Director, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr George Uriesi, has disclosed that obsolete infrastructure have been the bane of airport operation in the country.
Uriesi made the disclosure while making a presentation at the first annual FAAN stakeholders brunch, held in Lagos on Thursday.
Citing the example of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), he said it had been running on same set of two generators since   its establishment in 1979.
The FAAN boss said that with the obsolete terminals and run-down buildings, among others, airport operations had been stretched beyond capacity.
He said these factors had significantly impeded airport operations in the country and had, over the years, projected a very poor image for FAAN.
He, however, said that FAAN, under his management, had been working round the clock to ensure a complete turn around in the fortunes of  major airports in the country before the end of 2013.
Uriesi, who assured that airport operations in the country would soon measure up to world standard, said that remodelling work was ongoing at  various airports.
According to him, massive changes were ongoing at MMIA, including a 42-metre length expansion which would add 5,830 sq metres to the arrival and departure sections of its terminal.
He said that when completed, the terminal would comfortably handle six arrivals per hour at peak periods.
A new power plant, he said, had almost been completed to replace the over 33-year-old generators being used at the MMIA.
He also recommended that the two generators should be put in a museum, adding that they deserved beeing given national honours after serving the country for more than 33 years.
The FAAN MD also assured workers under him of no job loss as he declared that the remodelling was not about retrenchment.