The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said it had taken steps to ensure the safety of lives and properties at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos as the nationwide workers� strike enters the third day on Friday (today).
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, at the domestic airport, the Managing Director, FAAN, Alhaji Mohammad Yusufu, disclosed that the Airport Police Command, State Security Service personnel and other security agents, were alert to forestall any breakdown of law and order within the airport vicinity.
�I am going round the airport to ensure that there is peace, stability and from what I have seen I am glad to inform you that so far, there has been no case of mal-handling of anybody. Adequate arrangements have been made with all stakeholders to see to this stability,� he said.
Yusufu also commended the staff of FAAN for rising to the challenges of the moment.
A visit by our correspondent to the local wing of the airport revealed that the booking counters of airlines were empty signalling that they had obeyed the strike directive, in contrast with the previous day when the airline operated.
Some airlines operated in the early hours of the day, but later stopped. Passengers were seen stranded in the airport, hoping to secure tickets to various parts of the country.
The situation was s ightly different at the international wing of the airport as Kenya Airlines and Ethiopia Airlines arrived at 11.10am and 12.30pm respectively, while Bellview Airline with flight number B3262, departed for Johannesburg, South Africa, through Duala, Cameroun, at about 11.15am.
Virgin Atlantic airline also had an early morning arrival from London while its office at the airport amended its working hours from 6am to 2pm for now.
Virgin Nigeria staff were seen selling tickets to passengers for its domestic routes at the international wing.
An official of the airline told our correspondent that it operated the domestic route with reduced schedule.
For Aero Contractors, the door appeared completely closed to customers.
A notice at the entrance to the company read, �We regret to inform you that our flights for today have been cancelled as a result of the ongoing national strike.�