Aviation unions reject Airport concession

Four leading unions in the aviation industry have for the umpteenth time kicked against the planned concession of four major airports in the country.

They insisted that the attempt by the Federal Government to concession major airports in the country was against the public interest.

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Since the Federal Government started the process of concessioning the airports, the unions have been vehement in their opposition to the move.

But the Federal Government has despite the opposition mostly from the unions, carried on with the process.

Just last week, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika received the certificate of compliance from the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) giving the government the stamp to continue with the process.

The airport terminals slated for concession included the MMA, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

But at a world press conference held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, General Secretary of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Ocheme Aba, said the attempt to concession the selected airports is not acceptable to the union.

According to him, the airports slated for concession were the ones sustaining other 22 airports in the country, adding that going ahead to concession them would lead to massive job losses in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

He said the unions had made several efforts to dialogue with the government through the Minister without result.

The unions said instead of concessioning the airports, the government should encourage private investors to build airports in any state they so desired.

The unions which addressed the press conference include NUATE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), FAAN branch.