May 03, (THEWILL) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA), on Wednesday, formally presented United Nigeria Airlines with its Operational Safety Audit Certificate.
United Nigeria on the registry, will make it up to six domestic carriers, which have successfully registered as an IOSA Operator under the IOSA programme.
The certificate presented by the Area Manager, West and Central Africa, Dr Samson Fatokun, was received by the airlines management team, led by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mazi Osita Okonkwo, at the airline’s office in Ikeja, Lagos.
Established by IATA in 2003, IOSA uses internationally recognised quality auditing principles to assess the operational management and safety controls of airlines to certify them consistently. As a result, IOSA has become accepted as the international standard for airline safety and operational evaluation.
In his presentation, Dr Fatokun said that United Nigeria Airlines achieved the IOSA within two years, stating that it is a great achievement worthy of congratulations.
Fatokun, who pointed out that this is the first time United Nigeria is coming on the IATA registry, said, “We know what it takes to achieve it. United Nigeria achieved it in two years. It is a great accomplishment and we will like to congratulate the airline. You should be proud of yourselves.”
Advising that sustenance of the certificate is equally important, Fatokun said, “IOSA is an end and also a means you can use to go higher. I congratulate you and say you have done well. We have very few airlines in West African region that have it. You are one of the few. It is very good and we hope you sustain it. We also have 6 airlines in Nigeria that are on IOSA register. There is no country that has as much as that.”
On the airlines which are yet to be on the registry, Fatokun advised, “We will encourage those airlines which are not in the registry to join. Our solemn encouragement is for them to join. The membership objective is safety. Any airline that aspires for safety, we will help them. We urge those airlines that are not in the register to approach us and see how they can be members.”
The IATA’s representative, however, made it clear that to become an IATA member, the airline must first be on the IOSA registry.
Responding to the presentation on behalf of United Nigeria Airlines, Mazi Okonkwo thanked both the airlines management team and IATA for making it possible.
“This is a journey we started 6 months ago. We thank our team that worked so many hours. We also thank IATA and the audit team that guided us throughout the process.
“It couldn’t have been easy without our airline’s team, the regulator, ground handlers, and other stakeholders. It involves visiting our ATO that trains our pilots to ensure that our books are in order. In terms of United Nigeria Airlines, this is one step along our set objectives. It is a requirement and it is good to have such a stage in our development.”
Assuring that the airline will tap from all the advantages of IOSA membership, Okonkwo said, “We will explore all the advantages accruable from the IOSA registry. The business of flying is the business of safety. It is a collaborative work with the NCAA and IATA”
“It is also about benchmarking on safety standards according to the global best practices. We now have a certified benchmark to work with. Codeshare will be part of it and we will announce the airlines we will be codesharing with”, Okonkwo said.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
