All airlines that are indebted to the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) may be grounded from this week should they fail to pay up their debts.
Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun, had earlier given all airline operators owing his agency up to January ending to pay up their debts or face sanctions.
Operators of both domestic and international airlines are said to owe FAAN over N5billion being charges on facilities provided to ease their operations by the agency.
Giving a breakdown of the debt, the FAAN boss had put the total indebtedness of active and dormant international carriers at N2.6bn and 9.7million dollars and 215,000 pound sterling as at October 2007 while he said that of the local carriers stood at N929million and 108,646 dollars in the same period.
Aisuebeogun, who made the remark at a management review of the authority’s revenue recently appealed to airline operators as well as concessionaires owing the agency to pay up their debts, latest by January ending or face sanctions.
According to him, there would not be any sacred cow in his management’s ongoing drive to recover all debts owed the authority just as he said his management was poised to properly bill and collect all the agency’s past and present dues from concerned individuals.
Aisuebeogun had opined that “if the airlines and others want to enjoy our safe, secure and efficient services, then they have to pay all debt owed FAAN.”
He commended the effort of some airline operators that had responded positively to management’s plea, just as he lauded those airlines like Bellview and Arik that had responded positively to the agency’s plea.
He noted that his management’s determination was to develop and profitably manage the airport facilities for safe and efficient carriage of passengers and goods at world class standard of quality. “Every money accruing to FAAN will be judiciously used in accordance with due process and well accounted for,” he said
