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Bi-Courtney to upgrade operational equipment at MMA2

By BusinessNews Staff on May 17, 2014

The Chief Executive Officer of Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Mr. Christophe Pennick, yesterday said the company would invest over N500 million on the upgrade of operational equipment in 2014.

Speaking to journalists at the Domestic Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA2), Pennick noted that the N500 million investment would cover the replacement of escalators, elevators and cooling system at the terminal building.

According to him, the firm had concluded plans to replace the existing check-in counters, noting that the check-in counters will be increase from 31 to 45 at the departure hall to enhance capacity for new airlines.

Pennick, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), further stressed that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited had decided to upgrade facilities at the MMA2 to give airlines and passengers who utilise the terminal value for their money.

He said one of the major challenges facing the company was power as it had spent huge sums of money in the purchase of diesel to power its generators in order to keep the terminal functional.

Pennick said over 99,000 litres of diesel was utilised monthly on running generators, which he said is the source of power supply at the terminal.

Meanwhile, the Chief Operating Officer of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services, Adebisi Awoniyi, said the upgrade of operational facilities at the terminal was necessary to pursue maintenance culture, which had become topical in Nigeria.

She said: “We are changing all 31 check in counters to 45 counter, like you have in other airports across the globe, fitted with three bar coded system as well as baggage reconciliation system.”

“Our plan is to become the best terminal that is ICAO compliant in West Africa. Airlines are very happy over the upgrade of facilities, to raise the bar in air travel. In 2014 alone we plan to invest over five hundred million naira to upgrade our terminal facilities. In a difficult business environment, like ours, it is not easy to run an airport terminal”
“We are also upgrading the conveyor belts, we are working with the handling agents to improve the baggage handling system as well as improve the turn around time.”

On power supply, She said the MMA 2 had never experienced power outage, because the terminal runs on generators.
She said the PHCN had limited capacity to supply power to the terminal, stressing that PHCN should expand its power supply capacity to the airport.

[This Day]

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