Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has said that five international airports are going through the NCAA’s certificate and recertification processes.
This is as Nuhu clarified that the regulatory agency didn’t fix the last week’s approved new safety threshold handling rates for ground handling companies, rather, it was done in agreement with all players, including airlines (domestic and foreign).
Speaking on Monday with aviation journalists at the Aviation House of NCAA at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, Nuhu dismissed the report that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had lost the certification of Lagos and Abuja airports.
Rather, he said the two airports were going through recertification processes, stressing that some noticed gaps needed to be closed before the two airports would be recertified.
Also, he said Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Enugu and Kano Airports are going through initial certification processes and assured that once all the open items are closed, the authority would not hesitate to issue the certifications.
“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. 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.”
Besides, Nuhu emphasised that the last week’s approved charges for ground handling companies in the Nigerian aviation industry had the contributions of all players in the sub-sector, including the Ministry of Aviation and airlines.
He expressed disgust at the old rates, which had been on in the past 35 years, maintaining that whatever rates approved for handlers were in consonance 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.
“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. Those charges are a reflection of what is in the ECOWAS region. So, the NCAA didn’t just wake up to come out with the charges, but significant consultations with everyone involved, including the Ministry of Aviation,” he said.
Daily Independent reports that NCAA had approved between $1,500 and $5,000 (passenger and cargo flights) as the new safety threshold handling charges for narrow and wide-body aircraft, respectively, while for domestic operators it is now between N20,000 and N70,000, depending on the aircraft type.
Narrow-body aircraft include Boeing B737, Airbus A320, ER 135 and ATR, while wide-body aircraft are B767, A330, B777, B747 and B787.
The last time handling rates were amended in Nigeria was in 1986 and that international airlines were still paying as low as $400 to handle narrow-body aircraft, while they were charged between $1,000 and $1,500 for wide-body aircraft.
