The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has realed out safety
improvement initiatives around the nation’s airports.
Captain Yadudu made this known during his presentation: Airport
Operations and Standards of Safety in Nigeria at the Leadership Impact
Program of the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport held at
Sheraton Hotel and suites.
According to Yadudu, to ensure the safety at the nation’s aerodromes,
the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) conducts Aerodrome safety
oversight, audits and inspections, which he said are, determined by
various circumstances.
The FAAN helmsman said that the NCAA has a surveillance policy where
they carry out safety audit on aspects of the aerodrome multiple times
every year.
He highlighted them stating that there were three Apron Safety/
Management inspections each calendar year, three (3) Bird and Wildlife
Hazard Control inspections each calendar year while there are also
three (3) Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS)
inspections each calendar year
Other annual inspections include two obstacles chart/Control
inspections each calendar year, three airfield Lightings/Visual Aids
inspections and two terminal/Cargo Building facilities inspections
each calendar year stating that the frequency may increase if a major
renovation
He went on to explain that against the backdrop of ensuring the
airport is safe, FAAN has layers of safety committees which
effectively deals with issues from prevention of runway incursions,
excursions to accidents.
“These committees include: The Bird and Wildlife Hazard Committee,
Runway Safety Committee and Aerodrome safety oversight programmes are
constantly carried out by the NCAA and various certified personnel
i.e. audit, inspections and surveillance.
“The reporting of safety hazards and occurrences is encouraged at
every level in the organization. This promotes learning from these
events and discussing solutions, which invariably leads to a
continuous reduction in the rate of accidents at the airports.
“Likewise, the complexities of airport operations in the major
aerodromes requires continuous hazard identification and risk
mitigation measures. Investments in human capacity development by way
of training and retraining, infrastructure, equipment, maintenance and
technology are key, thus ensuring that safety is the driving force
behind airport operations,” he said.
On improvement initiatives, the FAAN boss noted that in other not to
become complacent and compromise safety standards at the airports, the
airport authority has implemented some safety improvement initiatives
“Airport Infrastructure Upgrade ?Commissioning of new terminals at
Port Harcourt and Abuja. Kano and Lagos to be commissioned next year.
Contract awarded for self-check-in, baggage drop-off and automated
boarding gates as part of smart airport project which will be
completed before end of next year. Closure of Enugu airport to fix the
runway to ensure maximum safety.
Other include,” Work on the taxiway ‘B’ (central runway) at Lagos
airport soon to commence. Wildlife habitat modification to reduce
occurrence of bird strikes Human Capacity Development, Massive human
capacity development through numerous International and In-house
training and re-training programmes.
