At last Lagos airport gets certification

After multiple assessments done on the nation’s airports by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), one of the Nigeria’s most viable international airports: Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos will today be certified by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, haven met all the ICAO requirements in line with best global industry practices.

With the certification, it means that MMIA, Lagos has met international standards as specified and recommended by ICAO.

The breakthrough in the industry is coming after much expectation from Nigerians as the certification of airports in the country is expected to improve infrastructure, procedure and safety.

A source close to NCAA, told Daily Times that the certification of Abuja airport will follow immediately in few months’ time and then Kano and others.

The airport certification is being done by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Western and Central Africa, WACAF, under its implementation of the Africa-Indian Ocean, AFI, Plan Aerodrome Certification Project.

The AFI Plan was adopted by the 36th ICAO Assembly to address the safety status of aircraft operations in the AFI Region.

It is meant to address focal areas which are: to establish and maintain a sustainable oversight system (infrastructure/capacity building) and assist states to resolve identified deficiencies within reasonable time.

Although, the certification processes started few months back but the Director General of the NCAA, Captain Usman Murtah had said that the regulatory agency has been very thorough and careful not to certify any airport that is substandard.

According to him, the civil aviation authority is set-up to meet all with International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs); he therefore pointed out that NCAA was bent on working with very high standards.

He said that it is based on safety that airport are certified and that it is required by ICAO to give the required confidence to international airline operators coming in that, standards have been met.

On the benefits of the certification, the Managing Director/CEO of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma, had noted that such exercise will make the airport users, especially the airlines more comfortable.

Dunoma said that they will be more comfortable in the sense that they know now that Nigeria have a standard that the country must make sure they sustain.

Recall that ICAO representatives from its regional headquarters in Dakar, Senegal, visited Nigeria recently to assess the situation of the Lagos and Abuja airports.

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo