The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recertified the operations of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance).
The new IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) registration recertification which expires June 12, 2021.
It would be recalled that in 2010, nahco aviance was awarded the ISAGO certification.
That award made the ground handling company the first in West Africa to receive one of the aviation industry’s highest honours for safety and service quality.
The ISAGO Audit and ISAGO Registration means that nahco aviance has demonstrated conformity with the applicable ISAGO standards and recommended practices as specified in the ISAGO Ground Operations Manual Edition 7 certifying its area of operations.
Areas covered by the recertification include Organisation and Management (ORM), Load Control (LOD), Passenger and Baggage Handling (PAB), Aircraft Handling and Loading (HDL), Aircraft Ground Movement (AGM) and Cargo and Mail Handling (CGM).
The listed benefits of ISAGO registration for ground handling and airport businesses include safer ground operations, fewer accidents and injuries, elimination of redundant audits from airlines, reduced costs: less damage and less audits, uniform audit process and harmonised standards. Other benefits are improved safety oversight, harmonized auditor training and qualifications, improved quality standards and enhanced understanding of high risk areas within ground operations
The nahco Lagos station, first got its validation June 2014; Port-Harcourt, September 22, 2016.
Lagos and Port Harcourt were thereafter revalidated on July 16 , 2018 with the expiry date July 16, 2022.
Abuja station got its first validation in August 2014, and will expire in August, 2019.
Kano station was first validated this year with 2022 as expiry date.
Similarly, nahco aviance has secured RA 3 revalidation of its operations by the European Union in the Nigeria’s Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports.
The Third country EU regulated agent (RA3) is a designation given to a cargo handling entity located in a third county that has been validated and approved as such on the basis of an EU security validation.
The organisation ensures that security controls, including screening, where applicable is applied to the consignment bound for the union and that the consignment has been protected from unauthorized interference from the time that those security controls were applied until the consignment are loaded onto an aircraft or are otherwise handed over to an ACC3 – certified carrier or other RA3 operator.
The advantage of having RA3 validation is that consignments once screened, protected before loading into an ACC3 validated carrier are exempted from further screening and can enter any member state.
Commenting on the achievements, the managing director and chief executive officer of nahco aviance, Mr. Idris Yakubu, said the recertification is a reward for hard work.
He said the certifications show that Nahco’s thorough, diligent and consistent processes are among the best anyone could find in the world.
“Nahco’s excellent and time-tested processes are well – known in the industry. We were the first ground handler to get the ISAGO certification as far back as 2010. These have been continually renewed due to our reliable processes and procedures. We shall continue to improve on these processes, so that we better serve our clients,” he said.
