…Receives Certificate
The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has applauded the collaborative effort of aviation agencies that resulted in the issuance of an aerodrome certificate to the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA) Lagos, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Sirika, while receiving the certificate from the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma, noted that the issuance of this certificate is a testimony to the strong commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to safety and security at airports across the nation.
Recalled that the Director General of NCAA, Capt Usman Muhtar presented the certificate to the authority at a presentation ceremony, held on Monday, September 18, 2017, at the headquarters of NCAA.
Speaking at the ceremony, the DG of NCAA stated that the event was historic, being the first time in the history of aviation in Nigeria an aerodrome certificate of operational safety will be issued to an airport, in line with the conventions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He further stated that the successful completion of the certification exercise was contingent on the team work involving seasoned officials from FAAN, NCAA, the certification team and other stakeholders,advising FAAN to not only ensure total compliance with all operational standards to ensure sustainability of the certification, but to also gear up to certify other airports in Nigeria.
In his speech, NCAA’s Director of Aerodromes and Airspace Standards, Mr Odunowo Mohammed Tayyib noted that there are five key phases to the certification of any airport.
He listed the five critical steps to include: expression of interest by an intending applicant for an aerodrome certificate, assessment of the formal application including evaluation of Aerodrome Manual, assessment of the aerodrome facilities and equipment, issuance or refusal of an aerodrome certificate and publication of the certified status of an aerodrome and the required details in the AIP.
Odunowo noted with joy that Lagos Airport has scaled all the hurdles and consequently, the issuance/presentation of the certificate.
The Managing Director of FAAN in his acceptance speech, thanked the NCAA, MMA Management, the airlines and the certification team for their cooperation, towards making the entire process a success.
Expressing his delight at this achievement, he noted that lots of time and resources has been put into the process and the experiences gathered will surely assist in speeding up the certification process of other airports in Nigeria.
FAAN , he stated cherish the certificate and do everything possible to sustain it,noting that airline operators will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the process.
Dunoma reassured the DG, NCAA that the authority will not only ensure the sustenance of this certificate, but will also work very hard to collect more certificates from the regulatory agency.
