Enhancing customer perception through Infrastructure upgrades in Nigerian airports

 

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Acting Chief Operating Officer (Ag. COO) of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of MMA2 Ikeja, Tosan Duncan Odukoya, has emphasised the importance of recognizing and enhancing forces that drive tourism in today’s world of travel and adventure. 

She underscored that infrastructure and process flow are foundational for building a vibrant tourism sector.

Duncan Odukoya, the Ag. COO of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, made these remarks during a Breakfast Forum hosted by Philips Consulting Limited and the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) held at Eko Hotel Orchid Room on October 31, 2023. The event’s theme was ‘Rethinking Tourism in Nigeria’.

As a panellist at the event, Duncan emphasised that the success of tourism depends on well-structured and efficient infrastructure, which plays a pivotal role in mapping out the traveller’s journey. Using MMA2 as an example, she highlighted continuous growth and improvement as key enablers for delivering world-class service. “These enablers include rethinking technology, reengineering process flows, and enhancing people training.”

Duncan shared that at MMA2, the goal is to establish a viable value chain within the travel, trade, and tourism sector through innovative and customer-focused marketing. This approach involves smart customization, advanced segmentation, and the use of technology to drive modernization and create multifaceted business models.

“It’s worth noting that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited after creating a culture and lifestyle Art Gallery Experience, is currently upgrading its check-in systems through the upgrade of its Common User Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS). This upgrade aims to reduce idle time for customers by offering shorter check-in times and more quality-controlled waiting time.”

“The ongoing IT infrastructure upgrade demonstrates BASL’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards in operational requirements. This includes support for seamless passenger facilitation, check-in, and boarding systems. Simultaneously, the company is upgrading its internal enterprise resource planning model to a top-notch system.”

During the breakfast event, which brought together titans of tourism, resort owners, airlines, travel companies, and entertainment drivers, Duncan Odukoya emphasised that today’s air travellers belong to a discerning socio-economic demography. They seek transparency, corporate responsibility, and efficiency in their travel experiences. Airports must transform into major business centres offering non-aeronautical commercial, cultural, and lifestyle opportunities.

She reminded all that MMA2 as a pioneering public private airport model was not conceptualised to be just a terminal, but to serve as Gateway to tourism within and around Nigeria as well as a destination for a new and discerning generation of travellers.  It must begin to upscale from the linear view of processing to create a space that caters to all aspirational needs for air travel.

Duncan called on all stakeholders to focus on infrastructure development and maintenance, recognizing its positive consequences for tourism, wellbeing, communities, and economies. She stressed the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to realise the vision of seamless travel.

Seizing the opportunity to update the delegates on the state of the travel industry, Duncan urged public sector authorities to endorse and support private establishments committed to advancing the sector.

She emphasised the potential of single hub integration for airlines by providing domestic and regional travel under one seamless facility, and called on all key persons to empower the private sector to facilitate growth and collaboration.