Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Sunday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos after the check-in system at the airport crashed.
The system breakdown, which occurred in the morning, prompted international airline operators at the airport to switch to manual check-in measures, thereby leading to flights delays.
The airport is presently at the heart of an international terror probe because Farouk Muttallab, the Nigerian currently facing trial in the United States on terror charges, started his journey from Lagos.
“This is not funny, but passengers like me usually give room for this kind of disappointment whenever I’m to fly from Nigerian airports,” said a traveller, who identified himself as Stephen.
An employee at the airport disclosed that the system breakdown affected all international airlines.“The check-in system stopped working around 10.30 and 11am, and it lasted for about two hours,” the source said. “Though nothing is said to be permanent in life, it is not good to have this experience here for this is an international airport and it needs enduring developments.”
Maevis is responsible
When contacted, the MMIA station manager for Egypt Air, who simply gave his name as Mr. Sellah, said that the breakdown affected his company and that passengers had to exercise patience as the carrier switched to manual check-in procedures.
Mr. Sellah disclosed that Maevis Limited – the concessionaire that collects aeronautical charges on behalf of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) – is responsible for the efficient functioning of the check-in instrument.
“The check-in equipment is provided by Maevis, and since we could not use them at the time it stopped working, we had to use manual instruments like labels and others to check in our passengers,” he said.
FAAN Comments
After unsuccessful efforts trying to reach Maevis Limited, as its employees were not on ground. The General Manager Public Relations, Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Akin Olukunle, confirmed that Maevis limited is responsible for the equipment. “Maevis is the company in charge, and I hope they will fix it,” he said.