Arik Air gets IATA certification

Arik Air says it has passed the International Air Transport Associaition Operational Safety (IOSA) certification.

In a press release copied to ghanabusinessnews.com Tuesday March 29, 20111, the largest commercial airline in West Africa indicated that the international evaluation system is a requirement and precursor to full IATA membership; membership of IATA accords an airline a range of operational benefits such as enhanced opportunities for code-share.

According to the release, Arik Air is only the second Nigerian carrier to receive the certificate, although it is the only one currently on the IOSA registration that is fully operational under its own AOC with over 150 flights daily from its hub in Lagos, Nigeria.

For an airline to pass all requirements it must comply with eight varying criteria including Flight Operations, Engineering and Maintenance, Flight Dispatch, Cabin Operations, Security, Ground Handling, Cargo and Organisation & Management, it said, adding that the IOSA was conducted in September 2010 by an independent auditing group. Arik Air is now on the IOSA register until 1st October 2012 – the airline would then be required to undertake the audit again to register for a further two years.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi