WE expect the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, should know the importance of its business of managing airports. Why is it unconcerned over incidents that make airports unavailable for use because either its workers are on strike, or they are taking the laws into their hands by stopping airlines from operating?

Last Thursday, FAAN disrupted Arik’s flight operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. FAAN denied the airline’s staff access to their duty posts. The airline could not board its passengers for departures out of Abuja. Stranded passengers were caught in the midst of a mindless bickering over debts that should have been resolved in a more civilised manner.

Arik maintains that it was not owing FAAN. “Arik Air insists that it does not owe FAAN any money since the agency’s charges are paid in advance. This has been the practice for over two years when all the aviation agencies introduced pay-as-you-go for their services. The bogus debt claim by FAAN is therefore unacceptable to Arik Air,” its spokesperson Banji Ola said.

FAAN claims Arik has not been paying its obligations to aviation agencies. It said the money runs into “N1 billions”. Arik Air said it paid FAAN about N4 billion in 2014 as follows: “In January, 2014, Arik paid N335,562,212.50; paid N318,575,002.50 in Feb; N327,359,180 in March; N370,417,622.50 in April; N349,471,655 in June; N315,530,737.50 in July; N344,486,305 in Sept; and N447,232,602.50 in December.”

Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, according to Arik had intervened in the lingering debt issue. He directed that a firm of auditors be engaged to reconcile the books. According to Arik, the process was on when FAAN struck again. Who would explain these to the passengers who bore the brunt of the clamp down? What compensations are available to Arik, if at the end of the day it was not owing? Could FAAN had used another method in recovering the debt without disruption of flights?

FAAN’s response indicated its loose operations and the unimportance it attaches to its decisions. Henrientta Yakubu, its spokesperson, said it was FAAN workers’ union that disrupted Arik’s flights over the N1 billion debt the airline owes FAAN. Its unimaginable that FAAN workers, who should be busy with various aspects of airport safety and services were now involved in debt recovery. Were they acting on their behalf? Was FAAN unaware of their activities until the flights were disrupted? Who oversaw their regular duties during the interlude?

Were the workers the ones who lifted the siege on Arik? We must find ways, better ways of doing things. If Arik is owing, it should pay, we guess, to FAAN, and not to the workers’ union.