Seven new airlines apply for operational certificates

Seven new airlines have applied for Airline Operators Certificates (AOCs), to operate their respective businesses in the Nigerian airspace.

This was disclosed Wednesday by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to NCAA’s spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, the prospective airlines that just applied for the certificates are Prime, Dyro, Hak, AZMA, EAS, Easy Jet, and Taraba State Airlines.

Skybird Airline was, however issued its AOC recently.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the agency, Dr. Harold Demuren, has encouraged Nigerian airline operators to become IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) compliant, stressing that all the African presidents have approved Abuja safety declaration-that all airlines in Africa will be IOSA compliant.

Also, NCAA has paid over N10 million for gap analysis in favour of some airlines to support their becoming IOSA compliant. The beneficiaries include IRS, Air Nigeria, Aero Contractors, Chanchangi and Arik airlines

Gap analysis help airlines and airports uncover shortfalls in some processes.

Demuren explained that the initiative “will help them to improve their standard. That is what is good, let us improve everything in life; make sure we improve the way we do things. That is what we have in future for Nigeria. Aviation has become the engine for revenue generation, there is nothing you can do without aviation…it has to be safe; it has to be fair”.

IOSA programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. Its quality audit principles are designed to conduct audits in a standardised manner.

Currently, all IATA members airlines have to pass the audit to become and remain member. Nigerian airlines that have already passed the audit are Air Nigeria and Arik Air.

“Now that we are happy that we got all the regulation in place; let our airlines also do their own beat, to ensure that they become IOSA compliant”, Demuren said.

The DG had stated that the purpose of this was to enhance safety in the country’s aviation industry, as well as to have safety records in their airline operations.





-- Guardian