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We never approved Bi-Courtney terminal design — FAAN

By on January 20, 2014

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ,FAAN, has denied approving the designs of Domestic Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, currently operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services under concession agreement.

Bi-Courtney Aviation Services was quoted as saying that “the design of the terminal (MMA Domestic Terminal 2) was approved by the Federal Government and FAAN after due consultation with their consultants .The Bi-Courtney source also said that “FAAN was involved at every stage of the redesign and redevelopment of the project”.

But reacting to this, the General Manager, Communication, FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati   said “We wish to state categorically and for the umpteen time that nothing could be further from the truth. The design that FAAN approved was for a terminal costing a total of N3.9 billion.

“However, without approval from FAAN, Bi-Courtney went ahead on its own volition to build a terminal different from the one originally approved by FAAN, the cost of which it put at N38 billion, nearly 10 times the approved cost.

“There was no way FAAN could have approved a terminal at a cost of N38 billion for a 12 year concession because it did not make common economic sense.

“We hereby urge members of the public, especially aviation stakeholders, to disregard that bogus claim by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services which we believe was designed to deceive members of the public as usual.”

It will be recalled that FAAN and Bi-Courtney have been embroiled in protracted legal battle over the terms of the concession agreement which aside the domestic terminal, included construction of a five star hotel and conference centre within the airport. The construction of the hotel has reached advanced stage before it was stopped due to the termination of the agreement by FAAN.

Bi-Courtney has gone to court to contest the termination and also assert that under the concession agreement, no individual or organization is allowed to operate another terminal within Lagos.

 

 

 

[Vanguard]