NigerianFLIGHTDECK Travel and Business Reportage 
FOLLOWING its well laid out plans for safe ground handling operations, the International Air Transport Association ( IATA) has recertified the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) for another three years.
The new IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Registration recertification which expires June 12, 2021, comes the same time the Company announced it has received the RA 3 revalidation of its operations by the European Union in the country’s major airports.
It would be recalled that in 2010, nahco aviance was awarded the ISAGO certification, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations, becoming the first ground handling company in West Africa to receive one of the aviation industry’s highest honours for safety and service quality.
The recent ISAGO recertification came almost the same time the Third Country EU Regulated Agent (RA3) validation was issued to a number of NAHCO’s airport operations. The stations include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.
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, the first of its kind in Nigeria, in June 2014. Port-Harcourt’s first validation was on 22 September 2016. Lagos, Port Harcourt were then revalidated on 16th July, 2018 with the expiry date of 16th July, 2022. Abuja station got its first validattion in August 2014, and will expire in August, 2019. Kano, first validated this year will also expire in 2022.
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 these industry achievements, the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Idris Yakubu, nahco aviance, said the recertification is reward for hard work. He noted that the certifications show that NAHCO’s thorough, diligent and consistent processes are among the best anyone could find in the world.
He said, “NAHCO’s excellent and time – tested processes are well – known in the industry. We were the first groundhandler 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.”
