ICAO PRESIDENT VISITS NIGERIA TO MEET PRESIDENT BUHARI

The President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu has arrived Nigeria on official visit.

This is according to a statement issued by the General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, today (29th March) in Lagos.

According to Adurogboye, Mr. Aliu will hold a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

Other programmes lined up during the visit include a meeting with stakeholders in the aviation industry.

 “The ICAO President prior to his election on the 18^th November, 2013, served for eight years as the ICAO Council’s Nigerian Representative. He was the pioneer Director of Air Transport Regulation (DATR) at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from 2000 – 2004.

He succeeded Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez of Mexico.

“During Dr Aliu’s 2014 – 2016 trienniums, ICAO has established five comprehensive strategic objectives to his credit.

These are Safety, Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency, Security and Facilitation, Economic Development of Air Transport and Environment Protection.

ICAO has 191 member countries.

The current ICAO Council’s Nigerian Representative, Mr. Martins Nwafor arrived Nigeria earlier ahead of the President’s state visit.” –the statement reads

State of Nigerian airports infrastructure

By Yakubu Dati

The deluge of doubts that trailed the remodeling of airports across Nigeria, is giving way to rays of hope as great expectations have replaced the eager anticipation within the country’s aviation circles following the arrival of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) team to conduct an audit.  
According to Jean Claude Waffo, who is leading the team, the audit will access the state’s capabilities to oversee regulations as well as ensure compliance.

Recent figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics attest to the fact that Nigeria has grown appreciable in recent years; from 13,891,677 passengers in 2010 to 14,899,958 passengers lifted in 2013. Surely this growth is outcome of deliberate strategic transformation by the government in the sector and indeed, a key performance indicator that the reforms are yielding positive outcomes.
A further boost of confidence came earlier this week when the American Transportation Security Administration, TSA which has just completed a security assessment tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport gave the airport high marks.
 The US team also commended FAAN for what it called, consistency methodology in the implementation of TSA Security procedures which are of ICAO standards. The US TSA assessment has therefore provided an elixir to a prior sense of trepidation.   
The airports have benefited from the upgrade of Air Navigational Services as well as aerodrome and ground aids, enabling a fine mix of technology and human interface.
 Nigerians have had to contend with sad stories about the state of airports across the country but the airports are beginning to attract due attention and even the harshest government critique, can attest to this. Few years ago, some airports cut a sorry picture of how an aviation infrastructure should not look like.
At the moment, findings showed that the airports have received massive improvements with security scanners installed at various passenger processing and baggage handling points that can detect liquid explosives and other potentially offensive materials. New access control and monitoring systems, with tighter access control procedures have been put in place to keep away unauthorised persons from sterile areas of the airport. 
The new CCTV (Close Circuit Television) systems have also been installed to enhance security at the airport with perimeter fencing reinforced to keep out unwanted access to runways. FAAN has increased motorised perimeter patrols, and installed remote electronic intruder monitoring systems and security tower observation. The parameter access road has been reconstructed in order to facilitate patrols and enhance security.
Nigeria emerged with flying colours at a similar exercise conducted in 2006.
The aviation road map is designed to revolutionalise the aviation industry and increase revenue derivable from it. This entails institutionalising world class safety and security standards, through institutional reforms, infrastructural development. The new international terminal under construction will be delivered at the close of 2016, with additional capacity of 5 million passengers. The present terminal which is about four decades old has not been left to its fate. It received a new lease of life following an ambitious facility upgrade.
The expanded terminal area has added 42 metres in length to the Arrivals and Departures areas at both ends of the terminal, adding 5,830 square metres to the terminal. Simply put, the cramped lounge areas were expanded to four tomes its original size, creating more space for passenger mobility and processing thereby enhancing passenger satisfaction.
 The newly created ‘E wing’ of the Arrival area alone occupies 2,915 sq metres. A new luggage conveyor belts systems with a handling capacity of 1,000 passenger per hour has made the terminal truly customer centric. 
 The ongoing project of creating the arrival and departure points on two floors at the terminal will soon be completed to make for easier security processing at the airport. The International lounges and transit hotel also nearing completion will make the Lagos Airport, a regional hub to behold.
As the team undertakes their assignment, the imprints of the cumulative experience of a man who was, at various times, Airport Manager, Director of Security, Director of Procurement and Director of Projects will be so apparent.  Engr. Saleh Dunoma, MD/CEO of FAAN remains a relic of knowledge, experience and professionalism and Nigeria air travellers do not deserve anything less.
 
Yakubu Dati, General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, writes from Lagos 

Brussels attack and Nigeria airports

Lagos Airport

By Ariyo Akinfenwa

The world woke up on the morning of 22  March 2016 like every other day. The waking up on this day is not like every other day because it came with tripple bangs. The tripple bangs all happened at Zaventem Airport and the Maelbeek Metro Station  in Brussels, Belgium. They were not  good bangs at all because they were bomb blasts and so many innocent passengers' lives were lost and throw the whole world into mourning mood.

On the morning of 22 March 2016, three coordinated bombings occurred in Belgium: two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem by 8.00 am and one at Maelbeek metro station in Brussels by 9.11a.m. In these attacks, at least 31 victims and two suicide bombers were killed, and 250 other people were injured, resulting in three days of national mourning in Belgium. An assault rifle and a third bomb were found during a search of the airport

The monstrous attacks (Bomb blasts) on the Zaventem Airport and the Maelbeek Metro station in Brussels Belgium, has called for proactive and not reactive measures in and around our  nation’s airports to avert  similar incident.

It is of note that the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO is currently carrying out a universal safety audit on Nigeria aviation industry, the airports inclusive and it will end in two days .

Also, the officials of the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) assessed the safety status of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and commended the security apparatus, saying the security system was in line with the recommendations of ICAO.

TSA gave the compliment at the end of its security assessment and “expressed deep satisfaction at the level of compliance with ICAO standard and recommended practices in the airport.”

Despite the compliment by TSA, FAAN should not rest on its oars as the bomb blasts  in Brussels exposed the laxity in their security control at the airport. How the bombs escape the security system at the Brussels airport is a question yet to be answered.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN as a matter of urgency should step up the security apparatus at the nation’s airports. More attention should be given to the rush hours and festive holidays because of the traffic at these times.

Closed-circuit television, CCTV should be functioning optimally for the video surveillance of the airports. This important gadget is currently assisting the Belgian security to manhunt one of the supposed suspects of the bomb blasts at the Brussels airport.

Bomb alert system should be upgraded. 

If the airports authority is prepared for any unforeseen incident, the public need to know the level of preparedness. This will give passengers confidence on their security and also likely keep perpetrators at bay.

Our airports need to be safer.

Nigeria’s Minister of State Aviation to speak at Business Aviation Conference

With less than three weeks until the doors open on the third Nigerian Business Aviation Conference, NBAC 2016, the organisers have confirmed the keynote address will be given by the Honourable Minister of State on Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who is responsible for all aviation matters at government level, and as a pilot has first hand experience of the operating environment. Panels will also feature a genuine mix of Nigerian and international representatives from across the business aviation landscape including owners, operators, government officials, financiers and regulators. This elite group of industry experts will debate the conference theme “Sustaining Nigeria’s position on the African Business Aviation Landscape”, during the two-day meeting.

With Alan Peaford, Editor in Chief of African Aerospace and Arabian Aerospace leading the debate as Chairman, new topics this year will explore volatile oil pricing and subsequent effects on business aviation; the importance of the rotary segment in Nigeria and beyond; and an owners panel, which will discuss what it means to operate an aircraft in Nigeria, and the implications of recently introduced regulations.  Against a global background of instability and economic challenges the conference will bring together local expertise, and international opinion, to define ongoing strategies to support sustainable Nigerian business aviation.

Ahead of the conference, Segun Demuren, CEO of EAN, and host of NBAC comments, “Diversification of the economy will create growth opportunities in Nigeria. New regions will open up bringing the opportunity to create new international partnerships.  Executives will need to use business aviation to journey efficiently and cost effectively within the country. However there are still issues to be resolved and we look forward to picking up on previous themes, and igniting new debate, on how to best serve their needs.”

In addition to attracting a prestigious collection of delegates, NBAC 2016 is also welcoming a number of high profile sponsors for the event including ANAP Business Jets, Toucan Aviation, Bombardier Business Jets, Vertis Aviation, Triton Aviation, Dassault Aviation and Satcom Direct

ICAO Audit: FAAN MD confirms readiness

As the clock is ticking for the Nigeria aviation to be audited by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO,  the Federal Airports  Authority of Nigeria FAAN  has confirmed its readiness for the exercise. According to the General Manager Corporate Affairs, Yakubu Dati, “The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Saleh Dunoma has confirmed that the Authority is set for the forthcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Certification Audit. He made this remark during his recent inspection tour of facilities at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in preparation for the exercise.”

In pursuance of safety and security at the airport, Engr. Dunoma inspected the newly acquired security patrol vehicles and also the Fire Service vans to ensure that they meet required standards.

He also inspected the new fully equipped Ambulance, Resuscitation Bay and observation Towers which has been given a face lift.

He commended the effort staff  have put in place so far in ensuring that all facilities are set, and conform to best practices in line with ICAO standards.

NCAA restores Bristow’s Sikorsky S-76 aircraft back into operations

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has cleared Bristow’s Sikorsky S-76 aircraft after suspension from operations due to the audit needed to be carried out by the regulatory agency as a result of the last ditching in the Atlantic Ocean. According to a statement from Bristow, “ Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited confirmed the return of Sikorsky S-76 aircraft to service following completion of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) comprehensive operational audit and the company’s extensive return to service safety activities.”

“We thank the NCAA for conducting a thorough review of our operations,” said Bristow Group Vice President of Global Operations Mike Imlach.

 Bristow further expressed that they have completed a detailed safety inspection of their S-76 series helicopters and test flights for all [16] S-76 aircraft in compliance with the NCAA. Also that the Group president and CEO, Jonathan Baliff, was a passenger in one of the approved nonrevenue test flights to demonstrate his confidence in the safety of our S-76 fleet.

Bristow  said it has concluded a number of return to service safety activities with flight crews, engineers and other service employees, clients and key stakeholders, as an additional precautionary measure prior to resuming the S-76 fleet to operation.  “These activities include maintenance assessment reviews, risk assessment, and pre-flight safety briefings with passengers to give them the opportunity to talk to the crew and ask questions.”

The company has also engaged a reputable independent third party aviation firm to conduct an additional review of its entire operations in Nigeria. Bristow proposes that the review be extended to other operators in Nigeria so that best practices can be shared to enhance safety across the industry, and has commenced discussions with a number of operators regarding their participation.

Bristow is in full compliance with NCAA regulatory requirements and all Sikorsky directives for its fleet. The company maintains its aircraft to industry standards in accordance with special maintenance and monitoring programs developed by the aircraft and engine manufacturers, that are fully approved by the NCAA.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the Accident Investigation Board (AIB), which is investigating the events of February 3, 2016, to determine the cause,” said Senior Legal Director Africa Region Tolu Olubajo.

“We thank our clients for their unwavering support during this time and remain steadfast in our commitment to continuing to honor our contractual obligations with them. Bristow has been committed to Nigeria for nearly 50 years and we will continue to invest in support for our

customers and the country.”

Bristow has operated variants of the S-76 type for more than 35 years and remains confident in the Sikorsky S-76 family of aircraft, which has an enviable safety record spanning many decades with more than 6.8 million flight hours.

US –TSA impressed with FAAN over ICAO compliance

The United State of America’s Transportation Security Administration impressed with the performance of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on the just concluded security assessment on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, “the officials of the America Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has concluded its Security Assessment of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) and thereby expressed deep satisfaction at the level of compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices in the airport.”

The satisfactory comments were made by the four-man TSA team during the debriefing held at the Conference Hall of the Aviation House at the weekend.

The team also  said it was highly impressed with the Corrective Action Plans put in place by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) in respect of the few opened items.

They praised the Authority’s consistency and methodology on the implementation of TSA applicable security procedures which was of ICAO standards and noted that this accomplishment is a reflection of sufficient training provided for the staff and coupled with effective regulatory oversight of the industry by NCAA.

Other areas of the airport examined in the course of  the assessment include Airports Operations and Standards, Quality Control, Access Control Point, Passengers and Baggage Screening, Screening Equipment, Airport Contingency Plan (ACP) and Airport Security Programme (ASP).

The TSA team thanked the NCAA Director General, Capt Muhtar Usman for providing enabling environment towards successful accomplishment of the exercise and the observed  effective regulatory oversight over the sector.

Capt.Usman thanked the team for a job well done and expressed the Authority’s readiness to always partner and co operate with the TSA on issues of Aviation Security and Safety.

The Airport Authority officials in attendance however gave explanations and the time line for the closure of the few opened items that were identified by the team.

Political interference disturbs CAA autonomy globally-Demuren

…Suggests increase in TSC to 10%

L-R; Chairman of the Occasion, Former DG, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren;  Former Managing Director, SAHCOL, Alhaji Oluropo Owolabi;  Former  Commissioner AIB, Engr. Sam Oduselu; President Aviation Round Table (ART), Elder Gbenga Olowo MD, Emmanuella Travels, Mrs. Modupe Lawale and  during the ART Q1/2016 BREAKFAST Meeting yesterday

The former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren stated that the major problem facing the autonomy of the Civil Aviation Authority all over the world is political interference. He said this at the just concluded Aviation Round Table breakfast meeting with the theme: Nigeria Aviation Policy, NCAA Autonomy and Politics, Safety Regulation and Enforcement.

His words: “A major problem facing CAA autonomy is political interference and it is not limited to Nigeria. It is happening all over the world.”

Demuren also suggests that the Federal Government can increase the Ticket Sales Charge to 10 per cent from the current 5 per cent for the government to have return on investment since the foreign airlines might not be paying royalties on Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) anymore.

“Sometimes in the 80s, there was proposal when the Ticket Sales Charge was introduced to make it 10 per cent, but it was cut to 5 per cent. At that time the government was doing so much, building airports, buying aircraft and so on, hence the need for the charge at that time. The government can increase it to 10 per cent at least to earn return on investment”

Penninck unhappy not having regional operations yet at MMA2

 

 L/R  Chima Okereke, Bello Osagie and Doyin Omoniyi (all staff of Aero Contractors Airline); Chief Executive Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Christophe Penninck and Peter Omata, also of Aero Contractors, at BASL’s annual stakeholders’ appreciation dinner, in Lagos, last Friday.

The Chief Executive Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), Mr. Christophe Penninck, has expressed concern over the delay in securing regulatory approval for the commencement of international operations at the terminal.

Penninck, in his address at the annual customers and stakeholders’ appreciation dinner of BASL, last Friday, said it was saddening that some stakeholders in the aviation industry have been actively working against MMA2’s bid to secure the needed approval, despite the huge investment the operator of the Nigeria’s number one airport terminal has committed to the project.

Penninck, who could not hide his feelings, further noted: “It pains me to say thank you to such stakeholders for having us blocked us from populating the international flights schedule. We have invested so much in infrastructure and other developments. Unfortunately, right now, we have been unable to continue with further development. Although we collaborate with the authorities, it would be nice for us to be able to develop even more. This venue is supposed to be the international boarding gate for MMA2. If we have the opportunity to operate international flights, it will not only benefit us, it will also benefit the airlines operating here.

US TSA audits Lagos airport

The Transportation Security Administration in the United States of America has its presence in Nigeria for the purpose of carrying out a security audit on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to a statement from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, “A four-man team from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) United States of America are currently in the country carrying out the Security Audit  of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport[MMIA] Lagos  in line with TSA security procedures.

The team led by Transportation Security Specialist (TSS), were in the Aviation House on Monday 29th February 2016 to brief the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman on the exercise.”

According to the Acting General Manager on Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, they would in the course of the exercise  observe the implementation of Aviation Security measures in place  at the MMIA and exchange technical expertise in line with ICAO Annex 17 and  International Aviation Security Standard and best  Practices.

They will also conduct inspections on the implementation of TSA security procedures of Arik Airlines  being the only Nigeria carrier that operates direct flight to United States  and that of Delta Airline and United Airline, that both  currently operate flight in and out of Nigeria.   

The outlined agenda for the five-day exercise will include the examination of  Airport Operations and Standards, Quality Control, Access Control point at the Airport, Measures relating to Aircraft Maintenance, Passenger and Baggage Screening, Cargo, Mailing and Catering Services etc.

Other essential issues to be examined are Screening Equipment, Airport Contingency Plan (ACP) and Airport Security Programme (ASP).

The DG, Capt.Usman, in his response, thanked the TSA team for their visit and expressed the Authority’s willingness to partner, co-operate and assist the team for the success of the exercise.