The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA has said that it has more than enough capacity to audit all the domestic airlines operating in the country. Speaking at a press briefing during its end of the year party which coincided with the unveiling of a bus belonging to the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondent, LAAC in Lagos, Captain Fola Akinkuotu stated that teaming with foreign experts does not mean that NCAA do not the capacity to audit all the domestic airlines. He noted that NCAA will continue to review safety issues in the country by always striving to improve on safety. He disclosed that the agency has not deployed the Aircraft Information Reporting system for now, but maintained that it will soon be in use as some airlines like Aero Contractors and Top Brass Airline already have the equipment. While stressing the need for the airlines to comply with the rules, Akinkuotu said NCAA will ensure that our airlines are IOSA complaint, adding that in most countries where IOSA is compulsory their airlines are much safer. He said there is no going back in making the IOSA safety audit compulsory for domestic airlines in the country. Speaking of the suspension of fight operations of Chachangi and IRS airlines, the NCAA boss explained that though it did not withdrawn any airlines licence, but that the agency has made it clear that no airline that has less than two aircraft will be allowed to fly. He cited example with First Nation Airline that has to stop operations until their aircraft is two. Commenting on the country’s leadership of the international Civil Aviation Authority, ICAO, Akinkuotu said the country’s leadership of ICAO will help her get her acts right by doing the right thing. The DG said the NCAA has to go digital in 2014 including digitalisation of even the pilot’s license to enhance safety. He also advised pilot to always observe the weather because of the harmattan haze with its attendant poor visibility. Responding to the issue of the lingering Dana Air crash compensation, Akinkuotu said some families have been paid in full while some others have been paid in parts, while some are in court and others have issues of multiple claims among others. On why the audit of Dana Air took a long time to be complemented, the DG stated that the audit did not take long but rather the NCAA took out time to do a proper audit. He said there are some open items discovered during the auditing that are not in public domain which needed to be addressed.
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