Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd, managers of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) in Lagos yesterday lodged another complaint to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) over a document attributed to it, in which safety standards at MMA2 were questioned.
The MMA2 managers in a letter dated February 1, 2008 and signed by its managing director, Alex Van Elk urged IATA to clarify, if possible publicly, the status of the report, especially the portion dealing with MMA2, �because the document is being circulated in the local media and being used to question safety standards at MMA2.�
Bi-Courtney said the document was very damaging to its business. �As a terminal operator, we are proud of the strides we have made in introducing international standards to terminal operations in Nigeria and at a loss as to why an internationally respected organisation like IATA would, if this is indeed the case, issue a report on a terminal without carrying out an audit.
�What is very disturbing is that the section of the document being circulated which deals with the MMA2 terminal is word for word identical to an e-mail that was maliciously circulated to stakeholders by an airline operating in Nigeria sometime in October. This e-mail contains incorrect information on our terminal layout and safety standards of the apron.
�For your information, our apron was designed and constructed according to ICAO standards (IATA Airport Planning Manual).�
While urging IATA to act quickly and set the records straight, Bi-Courtney said it sincerely believed that IATA would not compromise its standards and allow itself to be used �for the advancement of personal interest.�
�We hold IATA in the highest esteem and welcome its presence in Nigeria as we believe it will contribute immensely to the attainment of global safety standards in the Nigerian aviation sector,� the MMA2 managers said.
This is the second time MMA2 managers would be complaining to IATA about the said document. The first time was in December last year.
It would be recalled that Virgin Nigeria airline had on the basis of the said IATA document raised concerns on safety at MMA2 and said it was finding it difficult moving its domestic operations there.
In an advertorial in some newspapers yesterday, Virgin Nigeria said: �Whilst the MMA2 is a beautiful terminal to look at, the operational elements which may not be obvious to the casual observer have not been sufficiently thought through. This fact was also highlighted by an independent IATA report of November 7, 2007. Safety and customer experience will be compromised with this order for Virgin Nigeria to relocate domestic operations to MMA2.�