Airports, airlines not ready for operation, says NCAA

By Richards Adeniyi

Airports and airlines in the country are not yet fully ready to resume operations, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has said.

It was gathered on Sunday that while airlines were about 70 per cent prepared for resumption, domestic airports were 57.83 per cent ready.

Latest statistics from NCAA also showed that air navigation service providers were about 80 per cent prepared.

Ground handlers were adjudged the readiest operators in the sector.

Eight airlines were collectively rated 70 per cent prepared by NCAA. They are Aero Contractor, Air Peace, Arik Air, Azman Air, Dana airlines, Ibom air, Max Air and Overland Airways Limited.

The eight airlines were evaluated on the following processes: restart plan, public health corridor concept, operational safety, personnel licensing and aircraft operations, aviation security, safety management system amongst others.

The government made it clear on Thursday that it was not feasible to open the country’s airspace for commercial operations from June 21.

Also, officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the NCAA stated that the airworthiness of about six airlines did not automatically mean that the carriers had been cleared to start transporting travellers within Nigeria.

It was gathered that the decision to resume commercial flight operations on June 21 was rescinded because the aviation sector was not ready yet.

The General Manager, Public Relations Department, NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, told our correspondent that the regulator was still engaging operators in the sector, as there were still issues that must be sorted out before flights resume.

Adurogboye, however, noted that the issue at the moment was not about who had been cleared or not, rather the focus was on being fully ready for flight resumption within Nigeria.