NCAA Certifies Lagos Airport, Others to Follow

• NCAA Certifies Lagos Airport, Others to Follow

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority on Monday announced the certification of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in accordance with the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The NCAA said the certification of an aerodrome entailed making sure that everything was current, working and checked on regular basis, and touched on all elements of safety oversight such as aviation legislation, operating regulations, civil aviation system, personnel training and certification, development of guidance materials and safety critical information, as well as surveillance and resolution of safety concerns.

The Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, said the current drive towards the certification of Nigerian airports was very significant not only as a requirement of ICAO and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, but as a critical safety targets set by the Abuja Ministerial Declaration of July 2012 that mandated all African states to certify their international airports.

He stated, “Certification is an enabler for the attainment of a regional hub, which Nigeria desires for Lagos and Abuja. Aerodrome certification can be defined as a process by which a state can demonstrate that airports in its territory meet regulatory safety requirements on a continuing basis, and that it is providing uniform conditions for safe and efficient operation of aircraft from all other states as required by Article 15 of the Chicago Convention.

“Aerodrome certification is, therefore, an ICAO strategy for the standardisation and harmonisation of airport services, facilities and procedures, as well as ensuring uniformity in safety critical aerodrome elements irrespective of differences in ownership and management of such aerodromes.

“The certification of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as the certified aerodrome operator for the provision of required airport services, facilities, systems and equipment at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, is in line with international standards and recommended practices.”

According to Usman, the certification will, among other things, signify to aircraft operators and other organisations operating at the aerodrome that at the time of certification, the aerodrome meets the specifications regarding its facilities and operations, and that it has, according to the certifying authority, the capability to maintain the specifications for the period of validity of the certificate.

He stated that the certification of the Abuja airport was in the final stage, while strategic measures had been put in place by the NCAA and FAAN to ensure the certification of Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna international airports by July 2018.

The Director of Aerodromes and Airspace Standards, NCAA, Tayyib Odunowo, said the first attempt at certifying Nigerian international airports started in 2006 after the first ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme and the enactment of the first set of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs 2006), wherein Part 12 required the certification of aerodromes and Part 14 required the certification of air navigation service providers.

“The certification of aerodromes as well as the sustenance of such certification require continuous funding. Therefore, we wish to solicit for the cooperation and support of the management of THE NCAA and FAAN in not only sustaining the certification of Lagos, but also the certification of outstanding international airports,” he said.