Three domestic airlines obtain IOSA certificates

Three Nigerian airlines have successfully obtained International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit Certification.

They are Arik Air, Aero Contractors and FirstNation. Those on the verge of attaining IOSA certification include Allied Air and Cargo Services, Overland Airways and Dana Air. While Air Peace has done its last workshop but is about to be audited.

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.

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.

In another development, Grobotek vehemently condemned 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, saying, ”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.”

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.

Speaking further, she said there were roundtable conferences on the impacts of environment on Aviation under the leadership of ICAO in which Nairobi and Nigeria had been tipped in Africa to host. This is slated for March 10, 2016.

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).

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.

Muhtar 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.

According to Usman, “Safety is not by accident but a product of sufficient planning. Hence, NCAA is ever committed to work with IATA on training, which is key to safety and security. These trainings will be domesticated where necessary for cost effectiveness.”