Aviation Experts Berate NCAA Over Abuja Runway Saga

 

Foremost aviation professional group in the country, Aviation Round Table (ART) has blamed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA for the present condition of the Abuja Airport runway which the federal government  proposed for  six-weeks closure to give room for repair works.

According to the experts made up of former pilots and administrators of moribund Nigeria Airways Limited, the poor condition of the runway could only have happened due to the fact that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which is responsible for conducting safety oversight of the sector, was docile and failed completely in ensuring that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) religiously complies with the Runway Maintenance Programme for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport  (NAIA) which is an operational safety requirement.

In a statement issued yesterday, signed by ART President, Elder Gbenga Olowo, the group emphasised the failure of FAAN to strictly follow the Runway Maintenance Programme and conduct regular repairs and rehabilitation of the runway as at when due.

The group stated that the decision as to whether a runway should be closed or not rests within the purview of NCAA as provided for in the Act establishing the regulatory agency and not the Executive arm of government, adding that   “unfortunately, constant political interference by the executive arm of government, the ministry, continues to usurp the role of NCAA and has hampered its effectiveness especially the current director general.’’

ART therefore challenged the NCAA to be alive to its responsibility of safety oversight by conducting a thorough assessment of the status of all the runways at the various airports in the country in an effort to correct the problems immediately and give each of them a clean bill of health in order to forestall a reoccurrence of the Abuja saga.

“Closure of NAIA runway no doubt has serious safety, security and cost implications. Local and international passengers will have to face the great inconvenience of travelling by road from Kaduna to Abuja amidst several security uncertainties. Airlines, service providers, employees and the national economy will all be negatively impacted by the closure,” it stated.

The group which is not sure if the runway will be completed in six weeks expressed doubts over the conditions that Julius Berger gave the House of Senate on the possibility of completing the job in the given period. .

The professional group also advised  the government that there is a need to ensure that movement and facilitation of passengers between Abuja and Kaduna is clear and unambiguous in the interest of safety and security.

While lamenting that the huge funds currently being committed into other sectors all in the name of using Kaduna Airport as an alternative, ART said such funds could have been saved and better utilised in the aviation sector if only those responsible for maintaining the runway had been more proactive from the onset.

“In the light of the closure however, airline operators can take advantage of the situation by increasing their flights into Kaduna from Lagos and other major cities around the country”, the group stated.

ART further pointed out that the call for a second runway at NAIA is unnecessary at this time in view of the fact that the current runway is underutilised.

“FAAN should therefore ensure that it develops a Runway Maintenance Programme approved by NCAA,’’ the group said.

if none is currently available. NCAA on the other hand must through regular oversight, ensure FAAN’s compliance with approved Runway Maintenance Programme”,  ART stated.

 

Source: LEADERSHIP