FEC okays biometric flight boarding, PH airport concession

The Federal Government has approved the concession of the Port Harcourt International Airport to private operators, saying the move will boost efficiency and reduce losses incurred in managing underperforming terminals across the country.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who disclosed this to State House correspondents after Thursday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, also assured aviation workers that the concession would not lead to job losses.

Keyamo stated, “This is a message to the unions: we will engage them. Nobody will lose their job. I’m making this very clear because there has been all kinds of misinformation to the union members. I am pro-union, pro-workers, and I know the kind of pressure they have been putting on me, including people within the system instigating them against these concessions.

“They will not dictate policies of the government. I repeat, no worker will lose his job as a result of concessions.”

According to the minister, the Federal Government had previously struggled to attract interest in the Port Harcourt Airport under the previous administration. However, renewed investor confidence under the Tinubu-led government led to a turnaround.

“Before we came in, Port Harcourt was a no-go area. Almost all the investors shunned Port Harcourt. But since this government came to power, more than six people were scrambling and falling over themselves to get to Port Harcourt. We now have a business case approved,” he said.

Keyamo said the FEC approved all eight memos presented by the Ministry of Aviation. These include the procurement of 15 new firefighting vehicles to be deployed at the country’s five international airports: Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu.

“This is in tune with ICAO standards. The International Civil Aviation Organisation regularly audits our airports to determine whether they meet global standards. One of the key requirements is adequate fire-fighting equipment,” he said.

Also approved was the procurement and installation of tertiary power supply at all airports and 14 Very High Frequency remote stations managed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. This, he said, is to ensure uninterrupted support for air navigation systems.

According to Keyamo, the Council also approved the full business case for a biometric verification system at all Nigerian airports.

“Too many anonymous people board aircraft using fake identities. That is not good for national security. With this system, your NIN will be linked to boarding data. We will verify that you are truly the one flying. This meets ICAO standards,” the Minister said.

The Council also approved the construction of a permanent headquarters for NAMA in Abuja, following its relocation from Lagos. Currently, the agency operates from rented facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, the minister explained.

Keyamo further announced that all properties owned by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria in and around airports have been officially excluded from sale to private individuals.

“This is a public announcement to those who purported to have bought airport properties: we will not give those properties to them,” he declared. “Airports are high-security zones. We need quarters for emergency personnel like the fire service and security staff. The President has now approved a memo to that effect,” he explained.

He noted that the previous disposals, carried out by a presidential committee under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had caused longstanding security concerns at several airports.

The Council also approved contracts within the ministry’s 2024 budget for runway and perimeter lighting, to allow late-night operations in select airports. “Some airports close as early as 6 pm because there are no lights for night operations. We want airlines to fly till 10 or 11 pm to increase capacity and revenue,” Keyamo announced.(Punch)