15th December, 2010
Foreign airlines operating in the country have been urged to treat Nigerians and their passengers properly as more than 46,995 complaints have been received by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) pertaining to maltreatment of passengers between January and December this year.
While urging the airlines to avail themselves to the tremendous potentials and opportunities presented by the country’s aviation industry, Mrs. Njeze reveals that the government believes aviation security is a matter of global concern that requires global concerted effort.
Safety and security are two components that are paramount in Nigeria’s civil aviation sector as the Federal Government has put in place a comprehensive safety reform agenda which focuses on airlines and aviation infrastructure resuscitation with the aim of meeting ICAO standards and international best practices.
The minister added that the implementation of the National Aviation Security Programme has led to the installation of modern security equipment including 3d total body pat down at departure security points, investment and roll out machine readable travel documents that incorporate biometrics, among others.
The country’s achieved sucess in the ICAO Universal Safety Outsight Audit Programme that led to the FAA, ASA Category One Certificate as well as the recently commissioned Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), was also spelt out.
Njeze made it known that the government still has the aviation industry in mind as they have started the remodelling of her airports with six key airports in the first phase. These include the construction of five new airports at Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Calabar as well as the expansion and upgrade of Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal.
—Amoran Busayomi
