The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued a stern warning regarding the carriage of hazardous materials onto aircraft, citing recent incidents that have compromised the safety of passengers and airport personnel.

In a press briefing held at its Lagos headquarters, as part of its activities to mark the FAAN Safety Week Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN Managing Director emphasised the imperative for enhanced communication and collaboration among passengers, airlines, and airport security agencies to mitigate this escalating concern.

Kuku spoke on the complexities arising from divergent airport and airline protocols, highlighting the need for harmonization and strict adherence to established guidelines for the handling and packaging of dangerous goods.

She said that FAAN has been proactive in addressing these concerns, conducting refresher training sessions for aviation security personnel on the identification and management of prohibited items and hazardous materials.

Recent incidents at Abuja and Kano airports have underscored the gravity of this issue, with passengers attempting to carry acidic substances and other forbidden items onto aircraft. Kuku recounted a particularly alarming incident in Abuja, where a passenger became belligerent when questioned about a suspicious item, underscoring the need for heightened awareness and understanding among passengers regarding the risks associated with hazardous materials.

Kuku explained that FAAN has seen instances where the procedure of the airport may slightly differ from that of the airline because each airline has their own procedure in terms of dangerous goods or prohibited goods and how they’re packaged.

“Immediately, we sprung into action. One of the things we did was to make sure that the Directorate of Aviation Security conducted a refresher on dangerous goods and prohibited items in line with the standard procedures.

“I believe we had two situations in Abuja and Kano airports. In Abuja, we had a passenger who came into the terminal with items. The aviation security officers had asked her if what she had was acidic in nature.

“The passenger was livid. She was upset. In fact, I understand she slapped some FAAN security officers that were there who restrained themselves because her question back to them is why should I have acid? Even the passengers sometimes do not understand what is classified as prohibited materials or what are dangerous goods,” Kuku explained.

She recalled an incident in Kano where the airport authority had actually looked at those items and saw they were properly packaged.

According to her, the airline accepted the items, but indeed, they had acidic levels that were potentially dangerous and there was an incident on the aircraft which thankfully was not an unfortunate incident.

She said this is however another awareness and wake-up call to ensure FAAN’€ procedures are aligned or well understood.

“Communication is critical and an understanding of the various security agencies that we have within the airport environment and the role that each agency or each organization plays.

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) released a new version or an updated version of the National Facilitation Program, which is actually headed by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. That program is actually domesticated at the airport level by our airport managers” she said.

The FAAN MD said that while there’s a coordination that happens with the Joint Intelligence Board, which is led by the national security advisor, what FAAN has been doing a lot more is to ensure it increases training and awareness programs.

“We’re also now extending it to not just the security agencies that operate under FAAN but to all of the security agencies within the environment. I know they all have their own individual protocol, but whatever we’re extending within our environment, we think that it’s important that we hammer it in as well,” Kuku said

Kuku also said it would forcefully remove fuel tankers and cars parked indiscriminately around the Lagos airport environment.

She said that parked vehicles and tankers have been identified as a major safety and security risk to the airport environment and would need to vacate immediately.

According to her, these vehicles are major encroachers, especially the ones seen on the road approaching the airport.

“There are lots of cars, lots of vehicles and we have reached out to various organizations. I believe the Tankers Drivers Association, the limousine parks, all the buses along the airport road. We have continuously informed them, I believe, via engagements and also via letters around the need to move away from those locations because it’s unsafe and hazardous to the environment,” Kuku said.

She also said the presence of these vehicles does not beautify the environment.

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve embarked on potential sanitation exercises to try and understand who those inhabitants are and to give them further notice. We’ve also engaged the Lagos State government and we’re working very closely with Lagos State, and the federal security agencies to start to clear up that space.

“So again, this is another way to appeal to all of those inhabitants to please remove themselves from those locations because we will embark on forceful action,” Kuku said.

Speaking on the theme of the safety week, ‘Navigating Conflicts for a Safer Aviation Industry in Nigeria,’ Kuku said it was carefully selected to reflect FAAN’s ongoing commitment to safety, collaboration, and the professional well-being of everyone within Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.

“As we all know, aviation safety does not depend solely on technology; human factors such as communication, trust, and teamwork play a crucial role. Where conflict arises, safety can be jeopardised.

“That is why this year, we have chosen to focus not just on compliance but on raising awareness about the importance of cultivating emotional intelligence, conflict management skills, and a culture of respect across all levels of the industry. This is vital if we are to uphold the safety of passengers, stakeholders, and staff,” she said.

Kuku noted that through this year’s Safety Week initiative, FAAN aims to enhance how aviation professionals manage disagreements, stress, and diverse opinions, especially in high-stakes environments where clear communication can make all the difference.

“We acknowledge some of the unfortunate incidents that have occurred at our terminals recently. By equipping our workforce with the necessary tools to de-escalate tensions and foster understanding, we are actively building a safer and more resilient industry,” she said. (BusinessDay)