Nigeria: Strike - Military Withdraws From Lagos Airport

Armed military personnel drafted to the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, last week, were yesterday withdrawn, following return of airline operators to normal business. The military personnel were drafted alongside policemen to beef up security at the terminal, and allow airlines willing to operate to do so without molestation.

The Nigerian Air Force personnel were withdrawn from the entrance of the terminal yesterday, leaving Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)'s security personnel to take their positions.

At the terminal, passenger traffic remained light early yesterday, in spite of the presence of airline officials at their counters, a situation which led to many airline officials scouting for passengers.

"We have flights as you can see, but there are few passengers," one of the airline officials, who spoke under anonymity, said and expressed the hope that the situation might get better later in the day.

The domestic air travel was almost grounded during the strike, as only few airlines managed to operate though the airspace remained open.

Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Captain Ado Sanusi, said Air Traffic Controllers(ATCs) had to be on duty during the strike, because the aviation industry was a global one and the nation could not afford to be cut off. He said the ATCs could not desert their duty posts in the interest of safe skies.

allafrica