Public Relations Managers have been advised to communicate effectively to their publics; internal and external the importance of compliance to the regulatory framework in the Nigerian aviation industry.

They have also been urged to provide accurate and timely response to issues through the media, writing of press releases, organisation of media conferences/interviews and crisis management, among others.

Mr. Basil Agboarumi, the Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc stated this over the weekend in Lagos in his paper titled: ‘Aligning Corporate Practices to Ensure Compliance to the Regulatory Frameworks Governing the Nigerian Aviation Industry,’ which was organised by the Business Men Fellowship International Aviation Chapter.

According to Agboarumi, it was pertinent for Public Relations Managers to use the PR tools to promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards the organisation/business, especially in the country’s aviation industry.

Agboarumi pointed out that it was the duty of the public relations managers to identify the publics that are useful to their organisations, conduct needed research, benchmark, set goals and establish measurement criteria for the public relations programme and implement the full range of needed tactics to achieve their goals.

The SAHCO boss reiterated further that safety is very paramount in the global aviation industry and called on the sector’s stakeholders to consistently promote it for the growth of the industry.

He said: “Aviation is global, there is nothing like the Nigerian aviation industry. In aviation, safety is first, second and third. In a nutshell, everything about aviation is safety.”

Agboarumi emphasised that the Nigerian aviation industry is governed by the Civil Aviation Act 2006 (CAA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2015 (NCAR), while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is the principal regulator for technical and safety issues such as aircraft registration, air navigation services and aviation safety, among others.

“NCAA has the power to ground any aircraft and take reasonable steps necessary to seal the premises of any air transport service provider to ensure compliance.

“The Act grants the Minister of Aviation the control and supervisory authority over Civil Aviation in Nigeria, and the Minister is charged with the responsibility of formulating policies and strategies to promote and foster sound economic policies to ensure the provision of efficient and safe services of civil aviation in Nigeria.”