Stories by Lawani Mikairu

THE American Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, is to visit Nigeria later in August to assess the country’s civil aviation industry, three years after it carried out similar assessment of the sector. The FAA team is led by Louis Alvarez, Louis Vanstroy (Operations Specialist), Benjamin Garrido (Airworthiness Specialist) and Jeffrey Klang (Attorney).

This was disclosed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, while interacting with aviation reporters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA. He said that the FAA team is expected in the country on Monday, August 21, 2017 and would round up on Friday, August 25, 2017.

Adurogboye said that the team would assess “ NCAA’s compliance with sections of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practises (SARPs) as contained in Annexes 1, 6 Part 1 and 8″.

He added that the Nigerian civil aviation industry scaled the hurdle of the FAA in 2014 when the team came for reassessment of the industry and assured that “Nigeria would again scale the hurdle”.

The NCAA spokesman revealed that Med-View Airline, the sole Nigerian carrier that operates long haul had also been selected for facilities test by FAA. He also said that FAA had already sent its checklist to the regulatory agency, which “include the current International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidance material”. He further said the FAA would assess eight critical areas: legislation, regulations, organisations, technical staff, technical guidance tools, licensing, continuous surveillance and resolution of safety concerns.

According to him: “NCAA is expected to complete the latest IASA checklist and return completed form to FAA before the team’s arrival. The FAA team will visit the maintenance organisation of Med-View Airline and any other necessary airline operator.

“The Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman has, therefore, activated the Authority’s standing audit team and they have since swung into action. Meetings are being held in readiness for the exercise to ensure a successful outing. There will be a de-briefing at the end of the exercise and a written report will be sent from the FAA headquarters to NCAA thereafter.”