By Ime Akpan
Lagos
The acting director general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engr. Benedict Adeyileka, has said that the primary responsibility of safety lies with the airlines.
Speaking yesterday in Lagos at the presentation of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to Azman Air Services Ltd, Adeyileka said the agency would always work to ensure the survival of airlines.
“We are the regulatory body and we are partners with airlines. If we can work together, we get result. They (Azman) have crossed all the t’s and dotted all the I’s and have done their 50-hour demonstration flight. We are regulators but the primary safety responsibility lies with the operators. Our job is to ensure safety; so if we can work together we will get safety. There will be snag, aircraft on ground, delays and cancellations but it is not about those challenges but how you manage them.
Adeyileka said the airline had succeeded in acquiring the AOC but charged it to do its utmost to maintain it especially “as you are coming into the industry at a time when regulations for passenger protection have been put in place.” He also charged the new entrant to take airline-passenger relations seriously.
“Passengers must be respected. Don’t put them in a situation in which the will resort to fighting you. Nigeria is a big market; so you don’t have to fight another airline for passengers. If you can guard against ill-treatment of passengers then your operations will survive. If passengers attest that your airline is safe the sky is your limit.”