FAAN accuses marketers of failure to renew passes
Aviation fuel marketers, yesterday, grounded activities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, following a 100 per cent increase in apron pass charges from N150 to N500 by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The protest left passengers stranded at the airport. Following the expiry of the apron passes, The Guardian gathered that the Abuja Airport Manager refused fuel vendors access to the apron to fuel aircraft on arrival and departure.
As a result, most of the aircraft that landed yesterday at the airport could not leave due to lack of access to refuelling for take-off, causing congestion at the apron.
With this development, many airlines have failed to meet their on-time departures. Speaking on the development, Acting General Manager, of Public Affairs, Mrs. Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, said the apron pass expired since May last year, and they were given till the end of March to pay up.
Noting that the pass renewal is N200,000, she wondered why oil marketers would wait after much appeals and reminders to pay up. The FAAN spokesperson added that many customers owe the agency and refused to pay.
Her words: “They also need money to fix their facilities. When they break down, users lambast them for failure to leave up to their responsibilities as manager of the airports.
“Their apron passes expired and they were supposed to renew before the expiration date and they did not. Apron pass are given for a period and within that one year period they are supposed to renew.
“The money is not much; it is just N200,000. An oil marketer cannot pay N200,000. When our facilities break down, they expect us to fix it. Government is not giving us subvention for any of these things. As an internal revenue-generating agency, all our facilities are expected to be up-to-date. We need money to run these things, and many of our customers are owing.”
A stakeholder said under anonymity: “Flights are landing and no fuel. I think they are using the fuel marketers as an example, but the charges affect everyone, including ground handlers. This increase is actually across the board, but Abuja is taking action today.
“Lagos to Akure with 100 per cent load factor of 4.00p.m. is cancelled, as we cannot meet up with sunset, even if we depart with our normal schedule now. Akure to Lagos was 70 per cent full. Passengers’ Easter plans are destroyed because of FAAN and fuel marketers’ stand-off.”
