Chinedu Eze
The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu has said there is marked improvement in the safety of domestic airlines following strict compliance to safety regulations.
Nuhu, who made this known in Lagos, while fielding questions from journalists Monday night, stated that air safety has continued to improve in Nigeria as airlines and the NCAA work together.
He assured air travellers that Nigerian carriers have kept to the highest standard of safety in their operations.
Nuhu also said Nigeria’s domestic aviation was growing as new entrants recently joined the sector, saying more operators were still processing their Air Operator’s Certificates (AOCs) with the authority.
The Director General said the NCAA has the best relationship with airlines, pointing out that critical decisions taken on the operations of domestic carriers fall on his table. He said it is only his office that has the power to ground the operations of any airline.
He noted that despite the devastating effects of Covid-19 on aviation globally, there has been discernible growth in domestic flight service, which has prompted more entrepreneurs to invest in airline business.
“We have at least four more airlines processing their AOCs (Air Operator Certificate), we see that the domestic sector is growing, the rate of connections among cities is increasing, for instance, Nigerian Eagle has gone far with its AOC and would soon start operation.
“We have the best relationship with the airlines but nobody can ground any airline without the approval of the Director General. We could have issues here and there but the airlines have been in compliance with safety regulations but nothing is 100 per cent,” he said.
Speaking on the debts owed by the airlines, Nuhu said the Authority has entered new arrangement with airlines, whereby they settle their debts as they operate.
He said that the agency decided to manage airlines’ old debts in a way that it would not drastically affect their finances in order to allow them sustain their operation, adding that if NCAA insists on collecting the entire debts owed it, some airlines would go under.
He said with new entrants, there is a tripartite agreement on how airlines would remit their Passenger Service Charge (PSC).
“The debts are legacy debts; a lot of them have mapped out their plans on how to pay”, he said.
Nuhu also disclosed that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) on Nigeria’s aviation industry would be coming up in 2022, and NCAA was working on it and that one of the things that must be done is the certification of the international airports.
He said the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport (NAA), Abuja were certified few years ago and that they are presently undergoing re-certification, and that some progress have been made as it concerns the recertification process.
The Director General also hinted that Enugu, Kano and Port Harcourt airports are presently undergoing initial certification processes, adding that as soon as all the open items are closed, NCAA would certify the three airports.
According to him, “Lagos and Abuja were certified a few years ago and presently, they are going through re-certification. There has been some progress. We have a few gaps that are to be closed. Some have been closed, others, we are in the process of closing them and new gaps have come. We are working closely with the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to close the open items to ensure that the re-certification process is completed as soon as possible.”
