Regular Nigerian travellers who travel through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (MMIA) were elated few years ago when the creaky, old carousels (conveyor belts) were replaced by new ones.
These new carousels have been celebrated for long before they started destroying passenger luggage and spilling their content. Now the carousels, which are working effectively, have pitted the passengers against airlines who ought to pay for damaged bags but so far airlines have adopted the strategy of passing the buck.
But they are still a better replacement of the old creaky conveyor belts that came with the airport, which scared passengers from checking in their luggage.
During those times in the past passengers usually held their breath while the old conveyor belts creaked away, sluggishly dragging the bags from the loading bay at the airside to the carousel. The maintenance people were always on standby, waiting to start repair of the machine when they stopped working. They usually did not wait for long because on daily basis they conveyor belts stopped, sometimes twice or more a day.
It could be said that passengers heaved a sigh of relief when the carousels were changed. But their elation did not last for long because now the carousels have been destroying their bags and no one is paying for the damaged bags.
When this writer arrived Lagos from Miami in June this year his check-in bag was ripped open and its sides damaged beyond repair. When he reported the case to the handling company, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc. (NAHCO) he was told to talk to the airline. But the airline was also holding the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) responsible for the damages. Not only this airline; other airlines say that they pay for the services rendered to them by FAAN; therefore the agency should pay for the damage incurred by its carousels.
Last week a passenger who also arrived from the US suffered the same fate. She saw her bag cut open by one of the carousels. As she complained, looking at the faces of FAAN and handling company officials, no one gave her any assuring response but as she prepared to take her case to the airline that airlifted her to Lagos, an official of the handling company whispered to her.
“Madam it is good you report the case but you may be coming here every day to pursue the case. Many passengers have suffered the same fate but the airlines are accusing FAAN and FAAN is not doing anything about it. Until somebody takes the case up, neither the airlines nor FAAN will do anything about it,” the official told the woman.
THISDAY spoke to FAAN officials who said that the carousels were damaged by heavy loads delivered by airlines from Dubai and China, especially Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines, noting that the engineers from the agency were always on hand to repair the managed parts of the carousels, “after repairing them they are damaged again immediately any of these airlines brings in their passengers and cargo.”
Another passenger told THISDAY that when storm delayed his flight from Miami to Atlanta where he ought to connect a flight to Lagos, his luggage went ahead of him, but when he arrived a day after his checked in luggage was delivered to Lagos, he was taken to the baggage store by NAHCO bag handling official.
“I saw my bag among many other bags. Some of the bags were destroyed. Mine was also damaged. Some of them were ripped open and their content spilled. When I checked mine I discovered that what was holding the content was the flimsy cloth that covers the leather and the inside of the bag. When I opened it nothing inside was missing but the bag was damaged beyond repair. Others who had the same problem said none of the things they had in the bag was missing but most of them were damaged,” the passenger said.
A FAAN source also told THISDAY that there were some sharp iron objects in the carousel that were covered by rubber which were cut open due to heavy bags that are conveyed by the carousels, so these sharp irons that jut out cut into the bags.
“We always carry out repairs but after a while they get damaged again. You know this airport is the busiest in the country so the conveyor belts are under intense usage and Nigerians buy a lot of things and bring in heavy things, which we must have to deliver to them through the belts. Those belts may not be the best in the market when they were brought in and installed because we have all metal conveyor belt which are more durable, but this thing has to do with resources,” the official said.
A passenger has vowed to take the case up, insisting that somebody must have to take responsibility, adding that passing the buck if allowed to continue would help people to shirk off their responsibility.
“I know the airlines are responsible, so it is annoying when they pass the buck to FAAN. They must settle the passengers and then go to FAAN and reconcile with them,” the passenger said.
But airport users are asking the question: why does it take so long to replace damaged carousels? Why did it take decades before the old ones were replaced and why must Nigerians deal with decayed facilities at airports? As FAAN contends with this question it must adopt the culture of responding quickly to issues that adversely affect the passengers and others that use its facilities because they pay for these services.
