Delisting Nigeria From CAT-1, A Protocol Exigency Not For Safety Infraction- NCAA
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The much-flaunted hullabaloo about delisting Nigeria from flying to the United States of America’s (USA) airspace has been doused with the fact that it happened because, no Nigerian registered airline flew to the USA within the two-year deadline stipulated in the USA’s Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Category-one, CAT-1, protocol.
A media statement by Capt Chris Ona Najomo, Acting Director General, Ag DG, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, clarified that the delisting had “no connection with any safety or security deficiency in our oversight system”.
Capt Najomo reminded stakeholders and the general public that, “Nigeria has undergone comprehensive ICAO Safety and Security Audits and recorded no Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SSeC) respectively”.
The Ag DG explained that delisting came when after two years of scaling the FAA safety and security assessment audit, as enshrined in the USFAA Category one, CAT1, conditionality, no Nigeria-registered airline was able to access the US airspace hence, the accreditation lapsed.
He further explained that following the successful safety assessment audit conducted on Nigeria in 2017, and as at 2022 no Nigeria airline flew the US airspace hence, “with effect from September 2022, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) de-listed Category One countries who, after a 2-year period, had no indigenous operator provide service to the U.S. or carrying the airline code of a U.S operator”.
Najomo narrated that, “no Nigerian operator provided service into the United States using a Nigerian registered aircraft within the 2 years preceding September 2022, so it was expected that Nigeria would be de-listed as were other countries who fell within this category”.
He however said by these very facts, “Nigeria was, therefore, de-listed since 2022 and was duly informed of this action in 2022”.
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