(L-r): Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) Capt. Muhtar Usma, Team Lead, Aviation Security Inspector Airworthiness, Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) Mr. Louis A. Alvarez and Attorney, Office of Chief Counsel, International Affairs & Legal Policy, (FAA), Ms. Elizabeth J. Weir during the arrival of Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) for audit of NCAA at Aviation House, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja Lagos on August 21, 2017.
Due to observed specified security issues, the United States federal aviation administration (FAA) has given Nigerian airlines a 65-day ultimatum to shape in or risk being barred from flying into US.
The threat was part of the fallouts of recent visit of the FAA delegation that was in Nigeria to audit the system ahead of renewal of Nigeria’s category one safety status.
Business Hilights gathered that on a five year understanding, the US FAA periodically checks foreign airports with which it has bilateral agreements to ensure they meet set standards.
The checks include having effective and efficient aviation regulations, operational state civil aviation systems and safety oversight functions and technical personnel qualification and training.
Others include the provision of technical guidance, tools, provision of safety-critical information, licensing, certification, authorisation and approval obligations.
According to a member of the aviation industry think tank, Aviation Round Table (ART), John Ojikutu, and CEO of Centurion Securities, “airport certification is compliant to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCAR) Part 12.6.4, which carries obligations on the operator to continuously maintain standards and competence in operation and ensuring availability of skilled manpower in sufficient numbers, for the periodic maintenance of the facilities and the system”.
