MMA2 Is Beyond A Terminal, A Tourism Gateway, Says BASL COO
The Acting Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of MMA2 Ikeja, Tosan Duncan Odukoya says MMA2 as a pioneering public private airport model was not conceptualized 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.
Duncan Odukoya 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 under the theme, ‘Rethinking Tourism in Nigeria’.
During the breakfast event, which brought together titans of tourism, resort owners, airlines, travel companies, and entertainment drivers, Duncan Odukoya emphasized 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.
It must begin to upscale from the linear view of processing to create a space that caters to all aspirational needs for air travel. She emphasized the importance of recognizing and enhancing the forces that drive tourism in today’s world of travel and adventure and underscored that infrastructure and process flow are foundational for building a vibrant tourism sector.
As a panelist at the event, Duncan emphasized 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.”
In conclusion, 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 realize 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 emphasized 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.
