The Airport handlers were reacting to a report (Not The PUNCH) which claimed that due to the connivance of airline staff and touts at the airport terminal, one-way ticket prices have skyrocketed to as high as N250,000.
The report by some newspapers stated that findings have shown that many passengers have been unable to board recently due to the antics of the unholy connivance, with the motive of selling tickets to the highest bidders.
It further stated that staff members of airlines block seats on their websites, preventing passengers from making bookings to sell the tickets in the black market with the help of the airport touts.
Reacting through a statement signed by the company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, on Tuesday, Bi-Courtney said the assertions are unfounded and lack credible evidence.
He added that their terminal security is strict and designed to combat any illegalities of such a pattern.
The state partly reads,” MMA2 operates under stringent security and operational protocols designed to prevent such activities. Our internal monitoring systems have found no indications of intentional hoarding of air tickets or collusion between airline staff and touts to inflate ticket prices.
“The rumours further allege that touts within the terminal use private PoS machines to facilitate fraudulent payments. At MMA2 all ticket transactions are conducted at the airlines’ sales booth using their official means of payment provided by the airlines.”
Quoting the company’s Airlines Manager, Bisola Ademola-Davies, said, “MMA2 is in continuous discussion with airlines to ensure that their process and practices do not leave room for anything that could undermine a seamless passenger experience which is what we pride ourselves in. Our collective efforts have significantly curtailed illegal activities, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to maintaining this progress.”
Bi-Courtney, however, vowed that anyone found engaging in illegal activities within the terminal will be blacklisted.
