FAAN temporarily closes MMIA E-Finger screening point, as NCAA suspends Azman Air’s operations
By Ayo Fadimu
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has temporarily closed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport E-Finger departure screening point to carry out some routine maintenance on the screening machine.
General Manager, Corporate Affairs Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, of the authority, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
Henrietta said that the process was part of the airport maintenance and upgrade programme of the authority.
She said, “Consequently, all human and cargo movements have been temporarily diverted to the D-Finger screening area until the maintenance and upgrade is completed.
“The authority appeals to passengers and other airport users to please bear with us, as we hope to reopen the area as soon as possible.”
In a related development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of all the Boeing 737 aircraft in the fleet of Azman Air Services Limited, with effect from March 15, 2021.
This disclosure was made by the Director-General of the Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu in a statement he signed which was made available to Nigerian NewsDirect in Lagos.
Nuhu said the suspension order followed a series of incidents involving Azman Air Boeing 737 aircraft. NCAA said that the suspension was in pursuant to Section 35 (2) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3 (A) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2015.
The Director General said that the suspension was to enable the authority conduct an audit of the airline to determine the root cause(s) of the incidents, and recommend corrective actions to forestall recurrence.
According to him, “NCAA regrets the inconvenience this action may cause the public, particularly to Azman air passengers, but the need to ensure the safety of air transport and protect the public interest, cannot be compromised.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will continue to ensure airlines’ compliance to its regulations in the interest of safety and will view any violation(s) seriously.”
