‘FAAN’s Approval Confirms Improvement In Aviation Sector ’

The Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says the renewal of Category  One Safety Status given to Nigeria by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed continuous improvement in safety, infrastructure and security in the nation’s aviation sector.
General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN Mr Yakubu Dati who disclosed this to newsmen said the rating has once again confirmed in unambiguous terms that the reforms in the aviation sector are not only receiving international recognition but global acclamation.
Four years ago, the country was first awarded the much coveted status after an audit of the worthiness of her airspace by FAAN. Recently when the FAAN degraded Indian from category –one, doomsday critics of the aviation Masterplan rolled out their drums to predict a similar fate for Nigeria.
“However, industry experts were unperturbed given the unprecedented dramatic transformation witnessed in the Nigerian aviation industry. Indeed within the space of three years after this certification, the various parastatals under the Ministry of Aviation have attained significant miestones,” Dati said.
He said the much celebrated remodeling of 22 airports across the country along with provision of safety and security infrastructure has stimulated economic activity with its attendant benefits of wealth and job creation.
Mr Dati said that the remodeled Murtala Muhammed, Airport, Domestic Terminal One Lagos, popularly known as GAT has processed a total of 1007,823 passengers between January and August 2014.
Similarly, a total number of 12,564 aircraft  movements were recorded during the same period.
“The construction of six state-of-the-art international airport terminals in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Bayelsa and Port Harcourt has already commenced after President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration signed a bilateral agreement worth $ 4 billion for their constructions with the Chinese government last year July,” he said.
According to him, “Nigerian airports are now fully compliant with ICAO standards for firefighting and rescue operations. The firemen are well kitted to efficiently carry out their duties in securing and safeguarding the airport terminals and the lives of passengers and workers.”
Mr Dati remarked that to beef up counter-terrorism capacity at the airports, government procured and deployed hi-tech, 3 in I (liquids, metals, and explosive detection) screening equipment at all her airports.
This equipment has been fully installed and is functional at Lagos and Abuja while those for other airports are at different stages of completion.

Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaech (left), with APC presidential hopeful, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, recently. Photo: NAN