The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, has said that the decision to immediately commence a comprehensive audit of all the airlines operating in the country is to forestall complacency among the airline operators.
The directive to audit all the domestic airlines operating in the country is coming on the heels of the Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S76 C+ aircraft with registration number 5N – BDG – 760540 which crashed into the Lagos Lagoon at the Oworonshoki end of Lagos state.
The aircraft, which crashed on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 with 12 persons killing six people while six other people survived.
The audit is also coming following concerns expressed by stakeholders in the aviation industry that the regulatory body should as a matter of priority carry out audit on the airlines following some incidences of air returns in recent time.
The DG explained that the directive was to forestall complacency among the airline operators and ensure that they all continue to demonstrate absolute compliance to NCAA’s regulations.
The NCAA boss stated that the pockets of incidents that had occurred recently are being viewed seriously by the NCAA, adding that the wholesale audit was one of the measures taken to forestall further incidents and ensure the sustenance of the confidence of air travelers.
Speaking further on the audit, Capt. Usman stated that audit on domestic airline is to ascertain the financial state and safety level of the airlines.
He stated that the exercise is in line with the authority’s regulatory and oversight responsibilities.
Usman stated that NCAA’s Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) would continue to intensify the routine ramp inspections with attention to details.
Meanwhile, the director general has warned pilots to take precautionary measures during adverse weather conditions.
He advised pilots and airlines to adhere strictly to states’ weather minima and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Usman assured Nigerians that the regulatory authority would continue to ensure that its zero tolerance for non compliance to regulations was strictly upheld.
Airline operations in Nigeria, he said, would continue to be done in line with the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) to ensure safe and secure operations.
Source : Independent
