BY Wasilat Azeez
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt international airports are currently undergoing certification processes.
Musa Nuhu, NCAA director-general, made this known while speaking with journalists in Lagos on Monday.
He also said the Lagos and Abuja international airports are undergoing recertification processes following some identified infrastructural gaps.
The DG explained that the authority was working with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to get the process completed as soon as possible.
“Lagos and Abuja were certified a few years ago, and presently they are going through recertification. There has been some progress. We have a few gaps that are to be closed. Some have been closed, others, we are in the process of closing them, and new gaps have come,” Nuhu said.
“So, we are working closely with the management of FAAN to close those gaps so that the recertification process can be completed as soon as possible.
“Some of the projects they have to do are quite capital intensive, but we are working on them, and I think we are getting some assistance from the ministry to give them the support on those heavy items that they need to do.
“Apart from that, we are also talking about initial certification for Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano Airports. All the international airports have to be certified. It is quite a big project to certify five airports; two initials and three recertifications. It is quite a heavy load to be done, but hopefully, we will get them by as soon as possible.”
On the newly approved charges for ground handling companies, Nuhu said it was done after consultations with stakeholders in the sub-sector, including the ministry of aviation and airlines.
He noted that the old rates had been in place for 35 years and added that the new rates approved for handlers aligned with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.
“Those charges were done after consultations with the foreign, domestic airlines and ground handlers. The NCAA did not just wake up and put figures in the air. We had consultative meetings with all the parties involved,” the NCAA DG said.
“Why should I be charging $300 in Nigeria and neighbouring countries are charging $4,000, and you expect the ground handlers to give you the same service? That is not possible.”
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