From Left: Dora Ndabai, Pilot at United Nigeria, Bernice Kunbi Leshi, COO, Bellagio Air, Mrs. Esther Shittu, Head, Aero Medical standards, NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, Ag. DG, NCAA, Joy Ogbebo, Convener, Capt. Donald Tonye Spiff, Director, Operations, Licensing &Training, NCAA, Tolulope Dawodu, Instructor, Caverton Helicopters
—stakeholders speak on aeromedical assessment of crew
By Sade Williams
Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo has charged Cabin crew members on the importance of discharging their duties bearing in mind the safety and comfort of passengers.
He was speaking at the 7th Cabin Crew Fair organised by MamaJ Aviation Consult in Lagos last weekend.
While itemising the role of a Cabin Crew member to include acting as Safety Personnel; ensuring they are competent and current through continuous training and participation in professional development; acting as Security Officials; acting as Health Officials; being Customer Care Personnel and working as part of a team consisting of fellow cabin crew, cockpit crew and ground personnel, Najomo said their responsibilities cut across a range of
areas critical to the safety and/or comfort of air travellers.
He said the cabin crew member is known to conducting safety checks and reviewing the availability and serviceability of on-board safety equipment, including reviewing emergency procedures before and during flights as well as responding to emergencies and evacuating passengers if required.
He added that the Cabin Crew member would also ensure strict compliance to security regulations for the secure conduct of flights apart from providing basic first aid and medical assistance and dealing with on-board medical
emergencies.
“As flight attendants, you are the face of aviation to passengers, and your dedication to safety, customer service, and passenger
care is truly commendable and cannot be overemphasized.
“An interesting fact about the responsibilities of cabin crew is that they are multi-facet. Those responsibilities cut across a range of
areas critical to the safety and/or comfort of air travelers. Part of your responsibilities is assisting passengers with special needs and requests, managing passenger conflicts and maintaining a calm atmosphere throughout the flight, and very importantly, working as part of a team consisting o fellow cabin crew, cockpit crew and ground personnel while adapting to changing situations like turbulence and sometimes flight delays.’, he said.
While assuring them of the Authority’s support, Najomo stressed the importance of safety, adding that the primary concern of the CAA is the safety of all passengers and crew.
“We are, therefore, committed to supporting you in your roles and providing the necessary guidance and resources to ensure that
our skies remain safe and secure. I had said this before and I will reiterate it here: Safety is not a destination, but rather, a Journey so we must continue to work towards safety.
The NCAA has been collaborating on more effective ways of conducting our regulatory functions, by engagements with industry experts and other stakeholders.’, he added.
Stakeholders also spoke about the prerequisite of a Cabin Crew, adding that once a would-be cabin Crew member would go through the necessary aeromedicals before being certified by the CAA.
Joy Ogbebi, Chief Executive Officer, MamaJ Consult spoke about the series of inquiries she received on aeromedicals and sometimes, rejection of would-be cabin Crew by the department, saying that the regulations must be followed to the letter in certification of a crew member.
