The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has renewed the aerodrome certificates of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA),Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The Acting Director-general of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, presented the certificates to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Abuja on Friday.
Najomo said the renewal of the aerodrome certificates marks an important milestone towards achieving excellence in aviation safety and security.
According to him,”In March 2001, the ICAO Council adopted a new Standard that required certification of aerodromes used for international operations. This Standard became applicable 27thNovember of 2003. Nigeria initially complied with this provision by certifying two international airports in 2017. The 3-year duration of those certificates lapsed in November 2020 in line with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations in force then.
“At the expiration of NAIA & MMIA aerodrome certificates, a six (6)month extension was granted to FAAN to operate the aerodromes due to the COVID-19 Pandemic which we all remember had devastating effects on the aviation sector. However, the extension was granted on the condition that FAAN resolve all outstanding certification CAP items and complete the re-certification process within the extension period. To be detailed, there were 136 items for MMIA and 29 items for NAIA, so this was no mean feat.
“Since then, NCAA and FAAN got down to the hard work of ensuring closure of the critical certification findings as required by the Regulations. I have deliberately taken us down this memory lane in order to have a proper perspective of what is being celebrated here today,” he said.
He reiterated that,” the presentation of these certificates is not an indication that the airports are 100% compliant with safety standards but it is a testament of their compliance with the minimum certification and operating requirements based on risk assessment and presentation of an acceptable Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for continuous implementation by the aerodrome operator. The observed non compliances have resulted into applicable restrictions and exemptions to reflect the true status of the aerodromes. In the meantime, the implementation of these CAPs will be monitored by our Safety inspectors through post certification surveillance activities. Therefore, we are not to rest on our Oars, but rather, leave our sleeves up and keep working”.
He appealed to FAAN to prioritise the safety and comfort of passengers, airport users, staff and the public.
“I congratulate the airport operator — FAAN — led by the current MD, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku on this remarkable achievement. In doing so, I appeal for continuous maintenance of high safety standards that prioritise the safety and comfort of passengers, airport users, staff and the public. I have no doubt that FAAN will align itself with these ideals. This will further ensure that subsequent certification renewal processes are seamless in keeping with my mantra of ease-of-doing-business without compromise of standards.
“On our part as NCAA, we remain irrevocably committed to ensuring that our airports meet the highest safety and security standards. As the regulatory body, we will continue to work closely with the airport operators to ensure consistent compliance with international best practices.
“This event marks the first phase of the CAAs action plan for the certification of the aerodromes.In the second phase, we hope to implement the plan by certifying the remaining airports in line with the regulations and international protocols.”
