By Our Correspomdent
Following the failure of the owners to comply with safety measures, the Federal Government has downgraded the Asaba airport. With the downgrade, flight operations will be limited to certain categories of aircraft.
Announcing the downgrade in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Affairs in the Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, the Ministry noted that, “with the downgrading which takes immediate effect, the airport would now be allowed to accommodate the operation of only Dash 8-Q 400 aircraft or its equivalent until all the safety issues are addressed.
“It has therefore become a matter of serious concern that despite a series of meetings with, and assurances given by the operators of the airport, the Delta State government, no concrete steps have been taken to address the issues which are capable of compromising the safety of flight operations and, of course, the passengers.
“The federal government has also drawn the attention of the owners of the airport to the fact that it has, through its inability to address the issues, violated safety standards as stipulated in the Nigeria CARs Part 12.6.2 and 12.6.3 in respect of the airport runway and its associated facilities as well as adequately trained personnel.”
The federal government had through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, raised several safety concerns over the ditches on the airport’s runway, lack of the required strip, perimeter fencing, drainage, and lack of adequately trained technical personnel.
The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who pointed out that the downgrading is in the interest of the public, said, “The downgrading has been carried out in the public interest because the federal government places very high premium on the safety and security of aviation passengers and would never compromise set standards for whatever reason.”
The Minister however assured that the airport would return to its previous status as soon as all the safety concerns are adequately and satisfactorily taken care of.
