NCAA Issues AOC to Westlink Airlines

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has granted Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to WestLink, a new Nigerian registered airlines.

The AOC was handed over to Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, chairman and chief executive of the airline, at the weekend by Mr Benedict Adeyileka, director, Airworthiness of NCAA, who stood in for the acting Director General of the Authority.
Adeyileka while congratulating Captain Mshelia during the brief ceremony noted that, “the occasion is to celebrate the issuance of Air Operator Certificate[AOC] to WestLink Airline Ltd.  

It is an occasion worth celebrating because its only the chairman of the airline, Captain Mshelia that can appreciate what it takes to get an AOC both financially, stress and regulation

He enjoined the airline management to ensure that the airline operate to optimum standards required by the regulator from any airline that scaled the rigorous process of acquiring the certificate.

Adeyileka said this was because the Authority has to ensure that the airline has the capability to comply with all the regulations both technically and financially to ensure that the airline has the capability to operate without endangering passengers safety.

According to him, there was no point having an airline that after taking off, two three weeks  after the airline run out of fund to continue operations and  also ensure that passengers safety was not compromised in any way.

Captain Mshelia, chairman of WestLink,  in his response expressed his delight at the issuance of AOC to his company and commended the NCAA team that handled the process of certification which began on 7th,June, 2010, adding that despite the rigorous process, it was ‘a happy ending’.

He said that he was exited and encouraged with the receipt of the AOC and that he believed that the granting of the certificate to his airline was a signal of trust bestowed on his company by the government through NCAA and pledge to ensure that, ‘’We do not fail NCAA and our clients’’.

As an entry point to the Nigerian Market, Captain Mshelia said the airline would first go into chater service and Umra operations to Mecca, Saudi Arabia and eventually venture into schedule passenger operations.