Three Nigerian Airlines Obtain Iosa Certificates

BEVERLY HILLS, February 28, (THEWILL) – Three Nigerian airlines, Arik Air, Aero Contractors and FirstNation have successfully obtained the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit Certification.

This disclosure was made when IATA team led by Tanja Grobotek, the newly appointed Regional Director for Africa, paid a familiarisation visit to Muhtar Usman, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), at the Aviation House recently.

The IATA Operational Safety Assessment (IOSA) certificate is issued to airline after a successful assessment and demonstration of compliance to Safety Regulations as specified by the body.

Those on the verge of attaining IOSA certification includes Allied Air and Cargo Services, Overland Airways and Dana Air. While Air Peace has done its last workshop but is about to be audited.

Grobotek, during the visit condemned the Consumer Protection Council's (CPC) incursion into aviation regulatory responsibilities of the NCAA with reference to the recent issue of passengers' complaint with Turkish Airlines.

She disclosed that IATA was taking up the matter with the Minister of State for Aviation for proper delineation of Agency roles to avoid a breach of Aviation Protocols in Nigeria.

“A situation whereby our member Airlines that are by International Conventions answerable to NCAA are now being questioned by another Body in Nigeria is confusing and need to be addressed,” she said.

While commending NCAA for a long-standing collaboration with IATA on operational safety, she expressed optimism in seeing more airlines obtain IOSA certification, which will be a boost to the industry.

She added that a roundtable conferences on the impacts of environment on Aviation under the leadership of ICAO has been slated for March 10, 2016 which Nairobi and Nigeria had been tipped in Africa to host.

Samson Fatokun, IATA area manager (South West Africa), who accompanied the visiting Regional Director, also said there were training programmes lined up for NCAA by IATA this year, which he hopes would be approved by the Authority.

Usman thanked the IATA team for their visit, and expressed willingness to partner the IATA on issues of safety, security and training.

He said the regulatory Authority had already transited from AIS to AIM and that staff of the Authority had undergone training on implementation.

Other issues discussed include proposed meeting with upcoming operators in order to raise their safety level, and also on the need for transition from Aeronautical Information System (AIS) to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM).

Story by David Oputah