Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest airline has been adjudged the Best Security and Safety Conscious Airline in West and Central Africa for the second consecutive year.  The honour was bestowed on the airline at the 9th Security Watch Africa Award held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana on Friday, October 19, 2012.

According to the organizers, Arik Air was conferred with the award because of the airline’s commitment to high standard of security and safety in its regional operations since inception as well as compliance to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) standard for aviation operations internationally. The organizers found the airline’s security and safety standards exemplary in West and Central Africa.

The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was among the several dignitaries from Nigeria and Ghana that witnessed the ceremony, presented the award to Arik Air’s Aviation Security Training and Standards Manager, Akeem Oladimeji.

Governor Amosun congratulated Arik Air and other award recipients and hoped it would spur them to do more exploit.

Responding, Arik Air’s representative, Akeem Oladimeji, thanked the organizers of the award and stated that the award bears testimony to Arik Air management’s huge investment in safety and security. He stressed that the airline’s Aviation Security (AVSEC) Department is the most sophisticated in the industry and the airline’s commitment to safety is second to none in West and Central Africa.

Arik Air has invested a lot of money on itemizer equipment used to trace drugs. The airline, which has 300 security staff in its employment, is the only Nigerian airline that conducts an independent secondary screening of passengers prior to departures.

The airline also places a lot of emphasis on training and certification of its security personnel. The airline’s Aviation Security Training and Standards Manager and the Chief Security Officer are ICAO certified Aviation Security Professional Managers.

This is the third time Arik Air has won the Security Watch Africa award. The airline first won the award in 2007/2008 as the Best Security Conscious Airline in Nigeria and also as the Best Security and Safety Conscious Airline in West Africa in 2011. The International Institute of Professional Security also gave Arik Air an award for excellence in 2009/2010 in recognition of the airline’s security consciousness.