A cross the world, airports are certified to ensure the safety of aircraft operations and to demonstrate compliance with relevant safety standards, but in Nigeria, for four years, all the country’s international airports operated without certification.
Experts said that operating without certification doesn’t mean the airports were unsafe; it literally means they lacked many of the ingredients that make operating in aerodromes very satisfactory.
According to aviation experts, many risks were taken or overlooked during the absence of certification, particularly by operating airlines. They risked getting aircraft from lessors at favourable terms. The observed non-compliance resulted in applicable restrictions and exemptions to reflect the actual status of the airports.
However, last week, after the NCAA presented the recertification certificate of Nigeria’s aerodromes, especially those of Lagos and Abuja, to the managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, stakeholders in the industry, comprising airline operators, aviation ground handling firms, oil marketers, and others, were joyful.
Stakeholders believe that this has equally brought to the fore the effort of FAAN and its managing director, Olubunmi Kuku, to get Nigerian airports certified to ensure the safety of aircraft operations and to demonstrate compliance with relevant safety standards.
Airport operating certificates ensure safety in air transportation. To obtain a certificate, an airport must agree to certain operational and safety standards and provide firefighting and rescue equipment, among other things.
Recertification of the aerodromes is a vital step in enhancing the country’s long-overdue aviation infrastructure.
The ICAO Annexes, particularly Annex 14, which pertains to aerodromes, provide the framework for ensuring that our airports are safe, efficient, and capable of meeting the demands of modern aviation.
This process involves rigorous assessments of facilities, including runway conditions and airfield lighting systems, to ensure compliance with these global standards. ICAO Annex 14 requires states to certify aerodromes used for international operations through an appropriate regulatory framework (Annex 14, Vol. I, 1.4.1).
The FAAN boss highlighted the ongoing assessments and improvements regarding the two primary runways in Lagos 18R, stressing that the runways are crucial for their operations, and their conditions directly influence the efficiency and safety of air traffic.
She said: “We are also focusing our attention on the taxiways A, B, and C, which are vital connectors that facilitate the smooth movement of aircraft on the ground. In Abuja, the primary runway also requires our commitment to ensure it meets ICAO standards. We aim to enhance these facilities further to provide a seamless travel experience for all passengers.”
Insurance premiums for operators in Nigeria rank among the highest in the world. According to experts, aside from insurance premiums that are most likely to be reduced, it would give the international aviation community the confidence to operate at the airports.
An aviation expert, Felix Oji, said that the certification of the two airports is based on safety, and it is required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to give the required confidence to international airline operators coming in that given standards have been met. He added that FAAN got the recertification for the Lagos and Abuja airports after closing 136 items or gaps for MMIA and 29 items for NAIA. “It is no mean feat by all standards,” he said.
The acting director general of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo disclosed that the gaps were made known, and the NCAA and FAAN have been working hard since 2000 to ensure the closure of the critical certification findings as required by the regulations.
In March 2001, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council adopted a new standard that required certification of aerodromes for international operations. This standard became applicable on November 27, 2003, with Nigeria initially complying with this provision by certifying two international airports in 2017. The three-year duration of those certificates lapsed in November 2020, which was in line with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations in force then.
“At the expiration of Abuja and Lagos aerodrome certificates, a six-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,” Najomo said.
However, the extension was granted on the condition that FAAN resolve all outstanding certification CAP items and complete the recertification process within the extension period. Najomo, while presenting the certificates to Kuku, said they are not an indication that the airports are 100 per cent compliant with safety standards, but they are a testament to 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.
He further stated that the implementation of these CAPs would be monitored by their safety inspectors through post-certification surveillance activities, adding, “Therefore, we are not to rest on our oars, but rather, leave our sleeves up and keep working.”
He congratulated FAAN on this remarkable achievement, stressing that 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.”
The secretary general of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Olayinka Abioye, said airport operating certificates or aerodrome certificates were usually issued to airports that comply with safety and emergency response requirements specified in Part 139 following the provisions of ICAO Annex 14.
He said such requirements covered a wide range of issues, including signs, lights, and markings, runway safety, aircraft rescue and firefighting, aviation fueling safety, and wildlife hazard management.
“This latest one comes after four years when the same two airports were certified by our CAA as having met Standard Recommended Practices and Procedures, with a risk management element, which also meets the demands/requirements and or expectations of Airline Operators in whose benefits these requirements are considered and put in place.
“By all means, it is a win-win situation for both FAAN as an airport operator and all local and international airlines. As there is no gainsaying the significance of this laudable accomplishment, it is a great way of showcasing FAAN as an organisation ready to do serious business and comply with Recommended Practices and Procedures of the ICAO and the local regulatory authority,” he added.
She lauded Kuku for achieving this for the country with her commitment to galvanise FAAN to move ahead with the certification of other major airports, especially with the renewed federal government’s planned concession and/or commercialisation of the airports.
A former general manager of Public Affairs for FAAN, Yakubu Dati, applauded Kuku, saying she came to the industry with a clear focus on what she came to do in a male-dominated terrain. Dati said: “First and foremost, it means that there is a rebound in the aviation sector in the area of growth of the airport industry. The new helmsman is a lady we are having for the first time. Within such a short time, barely 11 months, she got recertification of two airports, which was not done more than four years ago, and put on the global aviation map. All these achievements within a short time are for somebody coming to a male-dominated field, but her training in finance and being not a novice in the aviation industry because she came with a focus and direction. She is talking with action, which speaks louder than words.”
The general secretary of Aviation Safety Round Table (ASRT), Olumide Ohunayo, said that after recertifying the Lagos and Abuja airports, efforts should be geared towards sustaining them with continuous monitoring.
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