NCAA Starts Airlines Audit

Following the recent Bristow helicopter crash that killed not less than six people, the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Mukhtar Usman, has directed the immediate commencement of comprehensive audit of all the airlines operating in the country.

Usman said that the audit of airlines is in line with the authority’s regulatory and oversight responsibilities, adding that the exercise is to forestall complacency among the airline operators and ensure that they all continue to demonstrate absolute compliance to the NCAA’s regulations.
“The NCAA’s Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) will continue to intensify the routine ramp inspections with an eagle eye attention to fine details.
“The pockets of incidents that have occurred recently are being viewed seriously by the NCAA and this wholesale audit is one of the measures taken to forestall further incidents and ensure the sustenance of the confidence of air travellers,” he said.
Usman also sent out a stern warning to all pilots to take precautionary measures during all adverse weather conditions.
“In other words, there should be strict adherence to states’ weather minimal and standard operating procedures (SOP),” he added.
The NCAA boss, however, assured Nigerians that the regulatory authority would continue to ensure that its zero tolerance for non-compliance to regulations is strictly upheld.
“Airline operations in Nigeria will continue to be done according to the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs), thereby ensuring safe and secure operations,” he said.