The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Lufthansa Airlines have reiterated their joint commitment to advancing environmental sustainability in the aviation industry.
The announcement came during the Exclusive Discourse Event hosted by Lufthansa Airlines at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of NCAA’s Director of Air Transport Regulations, Mrs. Olayinka Babaoye-Iriobe, the Deputy General Manager, Commercial Agreement & Aviation Environment, Mrs. Evelyn Tanko, outlined the Authority’s environmental framework.
She noted that NCAA, under the Civil Aviation Act 2022, has localized the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 16 on Environmental Protection.
This has been integrated into Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARS), with Part 16 focusing on CO2 emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification, and Part 5 addressing noise and emission certification.
Mrs. Tanko highlighted several NCAA sustainability initiatives, including Nigeria’s State Action Plan on CO2 emission reduction and the country’s voluntary participation in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) since its pilot phase in 2018.
She also revealed ongoing efforts to implement a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Roadmap to promote alternative energy sources in the sector.
Other key stakeholders are also driving change.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is introducing Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) at major airports to lower emissions, while the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has deployed Free Route Airspace (FRA) and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) to enhance airspace efficiency and reduce carbon footprints.
Despite notable progress, Tanko acknowledged persistent challenges such as fragmented policies, limited monitoring systems, funding constraints, and insufficient industry awareness and readiness.
In his remarks during the panel session, Mr. Rene Koinzack, Senior Director of Sales for Lufthansa Sub-Saharan Africa, shared the airline’s commitment to sustainability through its Science-Based Target Initiatives (SBTI).
These efforts include the use of a modern fleet, carbon-neutral flight operations, sustainable aviation fuels, and reduced waste and plastic consumption.
The event concluded with a collective call for greater collaboration across the aviation ecosystem.
Stakeholders were urged to adopt eco-friendly practices, improve fuel efficiency, invest in alternative energy, and optimize operations to ensure a sustainable future for the industry.
