Airport hassle

It was at about 22:00 hours when the captain of Emirate Boeing 737 announced that landing was going to be delayed for about 15 minutes because of the volume of traffic witnessed by the airport officials. So the iron bird continued to hover around the sky of the Dubai International Airport. Ameer seemed to be […]

It was at about 22:00 hours when the captain of Emirate Boeing 737 announced that landing was going to be delayed for about 15 minutes because of the volume of traffic witnessed by the airport officials. So the iron bird continued to hover around the sky of the Dubai International Airport. Ameer seemed to be unperturbed by this delay and continued to watch a movie played on the screen attached to the head rest of the passenger seat in front of him. Glued to one spot for seven and half hours from Murtala Mohammed Airport to Dubai wasn’t easy for him, especially because he was in the economy cabin where the space between seat rows wasn’t enough to stretch. The only way he could lessen the stress was to watch movies.
Ameer was with his uncle who was ostensibly worried because the situation reminded him of a recent air disaster that occurred at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. He prayed fervently but inaudibly for a safe landing.
Ameer was also in the company of his father who was travelling to India for a medical checkup. It had been a yearly routine for his father, so on this particular trip he was lucky to be part of it. His father was seated in the first class cabin which was spacious and comfortable. The seats were big and could be converted to a cocoon-like bed with ample space in between seat rows. Ameer’s dad had to make a different seating arrangement because of his health condition.
After a few minutes, another announcement came from the captain informing passengers that landing clearance had been approved. By this time, the screen Ameer was viewing automatically switched to the plane camera TV, showing the aerial view of the airport. Even though it was dark, he was able to view the airport from the screen since it was well lighted. The runway could be seen perfectly. An air hostess then politely asked passengers to fasten their seat belts in preparation for landing. Ameer held on tight to the armrest of his seat as the rear tires of the plane touched the runway with a screeching sound, followed by the front tire. This caused a little vibration in the plane. It taxied on the runway and eventually came to a halt.
Ameer was seated close to the aircraft window and this gave him a clear view of the airport. To him it was the most amazing airport he had ever seen. From his window, he could see dozens of planes, airport officials offloading passenger baggage from other planes, passengers disembarking from aircrafts and others boarding. The passengers in the economy had to wait for a few minutes to allow passengers in the business and First Class disembark first. Eventually it got their turn and they disembarked from the plane. Passengers were conveyed to the arrival wing of the airport via an airport shuttle bus. On getting to the wing, Ameer could see the inside of the airport from outside because its wall was made up of glass. The door was a sliding one, so the moment he stepped closer, it opened automatically. Amazing! Ameer thought to himself. He later learnt that the door had a sensor which was able to detect movement of persons.
 Once inside, they were intercepted by immigration officials and other security agents at the security check point. They wore well-sewn suits and the expression on their faces was polite, unlike those he met at the Murtala Mohammed airport. Ameer had with him a light hand baggage which he placed in a plastic container that was passed through a mini scanning machine. Afterwards, he was asked to walk past through a body scanner. This was slightly different from what happened in Lagos where he was asked to remove his shoes and belt for scanning too. After the scanning ritual, they went straight to the arrival lounge to wait for the next connecting flight to India in two hours. By this time both Ameer and his uncle were jet lagged so they settled on a reclining red seat to rest a little. However, Ameer’s father was in a different lounge, the First Class which had a Five Star treatment meant for them alone. He was able to communicate with his MTN line with his father who told him where he was. On Ameer’s ticket was the gate number which they will pass through to board another plane and luckily they were seated close to the gate. He confirmed this from the electronic screen at the gate. This made him relax and soon, he slept off.
It was around 23:30 hrs when Ameer was awoken by the ring tone of his handset. It was his father and he asked him “where are you people? I am already in the plane to India.” Ameer immediately woke his uncle. Unknown to them an announcement had been made earlier for the commencement of boarding. Another thing happened again, the gate number was changed which greatly confused them. Fortunately, the airport had electronic screens all over the place, which showed directions, so they followed it quickly to avoid missing the plane because this could cost them fifty dollars each as penalty. Then came another call. This caused some panic and they started to run in a bid to beat time. Ameer’s uncle was elderly and this caused him some discomfort as they ran from one point to another until they eventually got to the gate and this time both of them were gasping for breath. Luckily, they got there on time and their tickets were checked. On getting to the plane to board, he saw from a distance his father who was already inside seated by the window in the first class cabin smiling and waving, so he heaved a sigh of relief.
Gimba is a graduate of Biological Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a Wildlife Officer.