Save The Port Harcourt International Airport
First published: 15 September 2011 at 12:01
The Oval Table
29 Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Email : deovaltable@gmail.com GSM: 08033106186
September 13, 2011
RE: PRESS RELEASE ON THE STATE OF PORT HARCOURT AIRPORT
The Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa unlike some of its counterpart airports around the country and the sub region has never stood out as an architectural masterpiece and can be said to be lacking in grandiose aesthetics. Suffice it to say, its functionality in the ever growing hub of an urban centre like Port Harcourt cannot be overemphasized.
A couple of years back the airport was upgraded to an international gateway, servicing major foreign airlines, with Air France making the maiden flight out of Port Harcourt enroute Paris. It would be safe therefore to assume that the Airport was accorded such a status because it met stringent aviation certification regulations at the time.
In recent times however the alarming state of disrepair of facilities and poor standards of service available to patrons at the airport may very well sound a death knell for the privilege of an international gateway status the airport currently enjoys.
We are emboldened to take the Airport Authority to task especially in the light of its reopening in 2008 following its supposed closure for extensive renovation following the Sosoliso Airline tragedy in December 2005. There is need to remind everyone of the untold hardship and risks residents of Port Harcourt faced in the course of opting for the alternative of the Owerri Airport. It was therefore a letdown to see how dismal the Airport was even after the “renovation”.
We are aware that while the Authority may argue that they are hard put to offer services/infrastructure at the airport because of economic considerations, we need to remind them that the passengers pay taxes that have been reviewed upward for these services: $35 on every international ticket and N1, 000.00 for domestic flight tickets, while day parking attracts N100.00 overnight parking is N1, 000.00 per night, need we mention the rents collected on shops, offices, parking fees etc?
That against best practices the following activities occurs at the airport and needs to be addressed immediately namely:
i. That despite the provision of offices in the airport, FAAN approvedoffices booths to take up all the space in the departure lounge thus forcing Airfrance an international airline to check in passengers at the car port and Lufthansa to check in passengers in the arrival hall. Who are those occupying the offices and why are all the airlines not behind the purpose built check in counters?
ii. This is the only airport where Lufthansa departing passengers and arriving international passengers are processed in the same proximity and hall despite its security implications to the airline and the country.
iii. There is complete absence of fast-track facility for higher paying passengers as all passengers have to carry their tagged luggage to the scanning machine and struggle through the crowd. First class and business class passengers are encouraged the world over by airlines and governments as it translates to more revenue for the airports.
iv. The halls do not have basic functional airconditioners thus making waiting an unpalatable experience for an international airport.
v. That the toilets stink and are in a state of disrepair.
vi. The airport lacks back up scanning machines as breakdowns have resulted in physical body search which in reality do not account for much in this era of high security threats.
vii. That the management of the airport according to them are unable to distinguish between touts and passengers thus leaving the departure hall always in a rowdy and uncomfortable state.
OUR PRAYER:
While we await the award of a contract that would probably be in the nine figures for the expansion and remodeling of the airport, we believe that if our prayer is adhered to that we will have a basic functional airport namely:
i. That all booths be removed from the departure hall specifically: Airforce, Airfrance, Aero,Arik,Air Nigeria and Dana airlines and the occupants moved to the offices and counters so provided in the original plan of the airport.
ii. We ask that backups are provided for the scanning machines for obvious security reasons.
iii. The management should monitor the activities of the anti terror squad at the airport entrance and prevail on them to leave supposed traffic offenders and concentrate on the serious task of providing specialized security cover for the airport.
iv. Provide scanning machines to scan all luggage from abroad and let them be subject to physical search only discovery of items in violation of our laws and safety instead of the current practice of ‘open your bag’.
v. Replace the tiles in the toilets and ensure constant cleaning round the clock, this can be accomplished in 48 hours.
vi. Replace the air conditioners in the halls as all types & capacities of cooling systems abound in the country and can be procured and installed in 3 days.
vii. Endeavour to contend with touts and make the airport a desired place of travel.
We are not against remodeling and but insist that the practice of total closure of airports in Nigeria is wicked, insensitive and malicious. And as we write expansions are going on at Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle and Dublin airports.
In those climes a total closure will not be envisaged as these airports are companies that must generate revenue to meet their obligations unlike the case of FAAN where allocations guarantee wages at the end of every month.
Thank you
Yours faithfully
For: THE OVAL TABLE
NENE SCOT-ANANABA (MRS) EUGENE ABELS
Secretary Chairman