The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has commended the leadership of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), under its Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, for what it described as a swift, structured and comprehensive emergency response following the recent fire outbreak at the Old International Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
In a statement issued on behalf of Nigeria’s professional pilots and licensed aircraft maintenance engineers, NAAPE said the incident, which disrupted flight operations and necessitated temporary diversions, tested the operational resilience of the nation’s busiest aviation gateway.
However, the association noted that the rapid activation of FAAN’s Emergency Response Plan by FAAN in alignment with Nigerian Civil Aviation regulations demonstrated institutional preparedness and effective crisis governance.
According to NAAPE, beyond containing the fire, FAAN ensured coordinated evacuation of personnel, protection of passengers, structured engagement with airline operators, and orderly management of flight diversions, actions the association said reflected a system that was activated with professionalism and discipline rather than improvised under pressure.
President of NAAPE, Captain Bunmi Gindeh, acknowledged the FAAN Managing Director’s leadership in steering the response architecture during the emergency. “We commend the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, and her management team for the decisive activation of FAAN’s emergency framework at a critical moment. What we witnessed at MMIA was not merely fire containment; it was the execution of a preparedness system that had clearly been established in advance.
From the immediate activation of the Emergency Operations Centre to the safe evacuation of personnel and the structured coordination of flight diversions, FAAN demonstrated operational professionalism in the face of pressure, at the highest level.”
Captain Gindeh noted that the absence of fatalities and the restoration of operational stability were strong indicators that leadership remained composed and systems-driven throughout the incident.
“Aviation safety is ecosystem-based. Infrastructure integrity, air traffic support, emergency readiness and human resource coordination are all interdependent. Under Mrs Kuku’s leadership, FAAN showed that when these components are aligned and promptly deployed, escalation can be prevented and confidence preserved.”
The association further acknowledged that temporary suspension of operations and aircraft diversions were responsible decisions taken to prioritise safety over convenience, describing such measures as hallmarks of mature aviation governance.
While offering its commendation, NAAPE encouraged continued investments in infrastructure modernisation, fire detection and suppression technology, redundancy systems and periodic emergency simulations across Nigeria’s airport network to further enhance resilience.
Captain Gindeh reaffirmed NAAPE’s commitment to collaboration with FAAN and other aviation stakeholders.