The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Wednesday, 25 May 2022, that the country's commercial aviation sector had recorded zero fatal accidents in the first half of the year, continuing a broader trend of improved safety outcomes since a wave of regulatory reforms began in 2017.
In a mid-year safety briefing, the regulator's director-general said the figure reflected sustained investment in surveillance audits, pilot recurrency training, and stricter enforcement of maintenance standards across both scheduled and charter operators, though he cautioned that a handful of non-fatal incidents, including runway excursions, had still been recorded.
A Cautious Milestone
Industry stakeholders welcomed the figures but noted that safety gains had come even as airlines faced mounting financial pressure from fuel costs and forex scarcity, warning that sustained safety performance would depend on carriers not cutting corners on maintenance spending as margins tightened.
The NCAA said it would continue unscheduled audits through the second half of the year and reiterated that operators found to be deferring maintenance for cost reasons would face immediate sanctions regardless of the sector's improved overall safety record.
