Delta Airlines refused to comply with the new implementation of the Federal Airports Authority on easy of doing busy in Nigeria, a situation that almost resulted into a crisis yesterday at the airport.
MLN confirms that Delta Airline stopped the removal of the screening tables by its counters and insisted that manual screening of passengers must continue unabated regardless of the government’s new policy. An action that contradicted the orders of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Federal Airport Authority Nigeria Managing Director Saleh Dunoma said all the agencies are stuck together to effectively and seamlessly implement the order without compromising on security procedures at the airport. After the meeting, it was gathered that the Managing Director ordered the removal of the tables by each airline’s aviation security personnel.
All Security agencies were expected to begin complying with the order on June 1, while other airlines within the premises complied with the order, Delta Airline refused to do so.
As part of the implementation of the executive order, screening of passengers was supposed to be carried out at the entrance of the terminals of major airports, including the Lagos airport. Passengers are not supposed to be manually screened by security agencies at the airline counters.
The Delta Station Manager at the airport, Mr. Salami, told the FAAN that he had received orders from his home country that its must manually carry out the screening of passengers after the machine would have screened their luggage at the entrance of the terminal, they said that was the order they received from their home country and even threatened to stop processing Nigerian passengers if the agency did not allow them to manually screen the passengers.
The resistance of the airline against the removal of the table almost led to crisis between the Delta Airlines and FAAN until the airport manager intervened and called the two parties to a meeting in his office.
Confirming the development, FAAN, spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said airport officials and Delta Airlines are meeting to resolve the impasse. She said even though manual screening of passengers cannot be totally eliminated, it is mandatory for all airlines operating in Nigeria to comply with the implementation of Executive Order, she wondered why Delta Airlines will insist on the physical screening of passengers.
The Acting President , Yemi Osinbajo had last month issued the executive order that would enhance ease of doing business at ports of entry.
