THE International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had in its long-term traffic forecasts predicted that global passenger traffic will almost double by 2032, reaching more than 6 billion passengers annually, compared to 3.5 billion in 2016 and equally, predicted that there will be more than 60 million flights.
The global body therefore, emphasized the need for ensuring the sustainable accommodation of this unprecedented growth, while maintaining safety and regularity of operations. Because certification of airports has therefore become a prerequisite as stated in ICAO Annex 14 Aerodromes, Volume 1 Aerodrome Design and Operations since 2001, certification of an airport is therefore a proven and effective way of ensuring safe and efficient operations, through a defined encompassing process which examines various components of the aerodrome, with the aim of verifying their compliance with international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
During a thorough certification process, airport regulators and operators verify that the facilities, design, equipment and operational procedures therein comply with relevant SARPs, thereby ensuring safe operations and supporting optimization of aerodrome capacity and efficiency.
These and several other hard works must have been put in place by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) under the dispassionate supervision of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the country’s aviation regulatory body which subsequently led to the recertification of the Murtala Muhammed International airport and the Nnamdi Azikwe International airport both in Nigeria.
The latest recertification of the two major airports came almost four years after they lost the privilege due to some lapses identified by the aviation regulatory body in 2020.
Though the two managing directors that had held sway at the organization tried their best but their efforts did not yield much dividends until the appointment of the present MD, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, who happened to be the first female personality to occupy such a position not only in FAAN, but in the entire sector. Right from her first day in office, Kuku had assured key players that the authority will continue to be the bastion of excellent service delivery in the country.
Her efforts to meet ICAO regulatory conditions through infrastructural upgrades and technical manpower development at the airports, prepared the ground for the recertification of the Lagos and Abuja airports by the NCAA, a feat which has been generating reactions from key players across the country.
Key players react: Many of the key players who spoke to Nigerian Tribune have unanimously agreed that with the recertification of the two airports saying, confidence was being restored at the country’s airports.
In his reaction, a member of the Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr Olumide Ohunayo attributed the recertification of the airports to the hard work and diligence of the FAAN MD.
“I want to look at it as a hard work of the FAAN diligent MD, fantastic woman who doesn’t talk much and not out to impress people but just facing her work irrespective of what the economy or the environment and the heat is all about. I think we must give her that credit.
So I will also not shy away from commending the director general of the NCAA for working with the FAAN MD in ensuring this has happened. What we should do now is how to sustain it because we knew how these two airports had been certified before and we lost it and look at the long time it took to get it back. Now that they have got it back they must emulate NCAA by ensuring that they retain and even surpass the expectations by making sure those gaps are closed through continuous monitoring and maintenance and where necessary certification for training.
“Now we should move beyond these two airports and see if we can get all the international airports certified, because when you get all those international airports certified, you are reducing the cost of insurance for operators and other service providers at the airports and once the cost of operations is reduced then we are expecting that consumers of those products will also benefit from it, so I want those certified airports sustained and they should move towards other international airports before we move to other domestic airports. Congratulations to the FAAN team most especially their diligent MD.”
‘Efforts galvanize FAAN to pursue certification of other major airports’
A renowned international labour leader in the sector, Comrade Olayinka Abioye in his remarks, said the ability of the FAAN MD to within the eleven months she took over the management of the authority to close the gaps discovered four years ago leading to the subsequent recertification of the airports, showed that under her FAAN has the suitably qualified personnel and dedicated workforce to accomplish greater things.
His words: “This latest one comes after four years when the same two airports were certified by our CAA as having met Standard Recommended Practices and Procedures, with risk management element, which also meets the demands/requirements and or expectations of airline operators in whose benefits these requirements are considered and put in place. By all means, it is a win-win situation for both FAAN as an airport operator and all airlines both local and international.
“As there is no gainsaying the significance of this laudable accomplments, it is a great way of showcasing FAAN as an organisation ready to do serious business and ready to comply with Recommended Practices and Procedures of the ICAO and the local regulatory authority, the CAA. The Olubunmi Kuku led FAAN has therefore shown commitment in this regard and I want to believe that this success will galvanize FAAN to move ahead for the certification of other major airports more so with the renewed Federal Government planned concession and or commercialisation of these airports, all things being equal.
“As I often said, FAAN has the suitably qualified personnel and dedicated workforce to accomplish greater things if given the opportunity to do so, but you will also agree that several issues had been politicised in the past which tended to have affected almost everything and everyone.
“My thinking now is that under the Kuku led administration, FAAN is poised for growth, expansion and there are many areas which require attention that can help deepen internal revenue generation process and if these areas are attended to in good time, infrastructure upgrade and worker motivation can further enhance FAAN visibility as a serious organisation that means business and ready for foreign direct investments”.
In his comments, a former general manager, public affairs at FAAN, Yakubu Dati, said the recertification of the two foremost airports has far reaching benefits for the country’s air transport sector.
According to Dati, the endorsement of the two leading airports in such a safety and operational capacity could be described as sufficient evidence that the country’s aviation industry is experiencing a significant resurgence, marked by impressive strides under the leadership of a female managing director.
Citing how in less than 11 months, the industry has witnessed the recertification of two major airports which he described as a feat that had been elusive for over four years, Dati, who was speaking in a television interview, said the achievement has not only garnered international recognition for Nigeria, but has also elevated its position on the global aviation map.
Besides the recertification of the two aerodromes and with plans on top gear to extend it to other airports, Dati declared, “All these are achievements within such a short time for somebody who is coming into a male-dominated industry, but her training in finance and also not being a novice in the aviation sector, have assisted so much because she came with a focus and with a direction.
“The strong factors driving this positive trajectory include a strong emphasis on safety and security by FAAN’s Managing Director, who has prioritized training initiatives, investing significant resources in upgrading the aviation training school to international standards.
“The recertification of airports, a rigorous process aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, is a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to meeting global aviation benchmarks. While two airports have already been recertified, several others are undergoing the process, signaling a broader effort to modernise and upgrade the country’s aviation infrastructure.
“The benefits of these advancements are far-reaching for the flying public, it translates to improved service quality, enhanced safety standards, and greater confidence in the Nigerian aviation sector. While for the economy, it stimulates growth by attracting international airlines and facilitating increased trade and tourism.”
