SAHCO wins British Airways’ Safety Award for fourth time

The Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc has, for the fourth consecutive time, won the British Airways Platinum Award for Punctuality and Safety performance.

The airline won the United Kingdom carrier’s topnotch award – Platinum for its excellent service delivery to the carrier in its Lagos station.

The British Airways Platinum Award for Punctuality and Safety performance is a prize instituted for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific by the mega carrier.

This was not the first time the leading ground handling company in West and Central Africa would be winning the major laurel.

In 2024, SAHCO won the platinum award in every quarter, having won the bronze, silver and gold awards, respectively.

Helen O’Connor, the Regional General Manager, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific for British Airways, said that the award was based on meeting or exceeding the adjusted door closure (aDC) target of 96 per cent every month for four consecutive quarters by SAHCO, with no major safety events or repeat audit findings.

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O’Connor described this feat by SAHCO as remarkable and commended the company for its on-time and quality deliveries at all times.

She said: “Achieving this across an entire year is a remarkable testament to the excellence and reliability of your operation, and we extend our warm congratulations for this well-deserved recognition.”

Commenting on the award, Adenike Aboderin, the Managing Director, SAHCO, expressed delight with the major recognition.

Aboderin also lauded the airline’s staff for their strict adherence to industry standards in the discharge of the duties, promising that the ground handling company would always commit resources to the training and retraining of its staff across board.

Also, the SAHCO Abuja station in the last quarter 2024, won the bronze award.

This is the first time the British Airways team in Nigeria is winning the award.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.