The inability of passengers to retrieve their luggage hours after arrival at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, has been attributed to the shortage of manpower on the part of the handling companies operating at the airport.
Speaking with journalists in his office, the Deputy General Manager Public Affairs, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Mr. Victor Chiji Arisa explained that the two handling companies, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) are short staffed and could not provide the required manpower at the evacuation site.
Arisa also said that the authority has identified that luggage handlers load cargo meant for other airports into Lagos bound flights making it difficult to be sorted out.
“We also observed that the handlers also sometimes load bigger luggage that should not pass through here, which also helps to wear down the belt, there are kilos of luggage that Should not come in here, sometimes people bring in motor spare parts. Some of them with sharp edges and they help to destroy the belt.??
“Again at SAHCOL and NAHCO we have observed that the loaders are not enough. This has been the problem and we have pointed it out. We are going to take it up with the handling companies. So that they will send enough, loaders to handle that” said Arisa.
While explaining that though the conveyor belts were old, assured that new belts would soon be purchased to replace the present ones. “We plan to get new conveyor belt, because it is not cheap in the open market. You order for it just as if you order for fire truck or new aircraft. You make an order, it may take one year or six months, subject to management discretion or availability of fund.”