Air travelers have criticized the 2,000 naira fee imposed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on each vehicle that picks up passengers at the Arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Vehicle owners who pick up passengers from the arrivals hall are required to pay 2,000 naira before entering the Arrivals gate.
Passengers who spoke to journalists described the fee as exorbitant, pointing out that Nigerian airports are the only places where departing travelers have to pay an out-of-airport transfer fee.
Some of them said travelers are already paying too much in taxes and fees, noting that these fees are higher than those charged at other airports around the world.
“The major issue for me is that the airports don’t look like where so much money is collected from the passengers. They are largely deplorable and everywhere you go airport workers are begging you money. I believe that the management of the airport overlooks that begging part and that is why it has persisted.
“You come into the airport all these security people will be harassing you. They ask you to open your bags in the wrong place because at that place they are at the entrance they can’t be asking you to open your bags. They force first-time travelers to part with money. In fact, everything about our airport is hostility everywhere.
“Last time I traveled, my wife came to pick me they stopped her immediately she entered the arrival area and asked her to pay N500. That was just last month. Today, they stopped her again and asked her to pay 2000. I saw the notice on the wall that they have increased it to N2000. It is the airport management that makes people believe that traveling by air is luxury because you have used these payments to prevent ordinary people from traveling by air,” a passenger told our Journalist.
However, FAAN Director, Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, disclosed that the charge was introduced to force motorists to use the car parks, but anyone who drives directly to the arrivals hall will have to pay the 2,000 naira fee.
