US Transport Security Administration concludes audit of Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport

June 14, 2025 in Companies, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Elgon, the Uganda Airlines A330-800 at the gate at Lagos Murtala Muhammad, on October 19, 2023

A team from the United States Transportation Security Administration (US TSA) has concluded a special focus assessment at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos—Nigeria’s primary international gateway that ran from June 10 to 13, 2025. The assessment, conducted in partnership with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), comes amid Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to maintain FAA Category 1 certification and bolster its reputation as a regional aviation hub.

Led by Aron Tomchuck, the five-member delegation includes Lori Silcox, the TSA’s representative for West Africa; Julian Persaud, Director of the Regional Operations Centre in Abu Dhabi; Richartha Bartley; and Ruth Gaertner. According to the NCAA, the primary objective of the visit was to evaluate Nigeria’s adherence to international civil aviation security standards, particularly those outlined in Annexes 14 and 17 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

The scope of the assessment spans a wide array of aviation security domains—ranging from access control, baggage and cargo screening, aircraft and passenger protection, to landside and cybersecurity measures. The visit also includes an inspection of operations run by US carriers—Delta and United Airlines—as well as other service providers operating within the MMIA precinct, to verify compliance with TSA aviation security regulations.

Crucially, the team also reviewed corrective actions taken by Nigeria in response to previously identified deficiencies. This component speaks directly to the ongoing oversight process that supports the FAA’s Category 1 designation, which Nigeria has held since 2010.

Category 1 status, granted under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme, is a significant credential. It certifies that a country’s aviation oversight meets ICAO standards, thereby allowing its airlines to operate direct flights to the United States. For Nigeria, it laid the foundation for a bilateral air services agreement and enabled carriers like Arik Air to briefly operate the Lagos–New York JFK route.

Delta Airlines has maintained consistent service on the Lagos–Atlanta corridor, while United Airlines was previously licensed to operate flights between Lagos and Houston. The direct US-Nigeria connections represented a major shift for air travelers from West Africa, cutting total travel times and eliminating prolonged layovers in European or Middle Eastern hubs. Where previously passengers endured layovers stretching two to six hours between long-haul sectors, direct routes allowed many to reach key US cities in under 12 hours.

Between 2010 and 2014, this connectivity also introduced healthy fare competition among the three operating carriers, while spurring improvements in airport security infrastructure at MMIA. Nigerian authorities made significant investments in training personnel across key agencies—immigration, police, aviation security, and intelligence services—to address issues ranging from anti-terrorism protocols to passenger screening.

However, while Nigeria has retained its Category 1 status, Nigerian carriers have not consistently leveraged the opportunity. After Arik’s withdrawal, no indigenous airline has replaced it on the US route. Industry observers cite a mix of financial constraints, operational challenges, and regulatory compliance burdens as barriers to market re-entry.

This week’s TSA visit underscores the critical importance of regulatory vigilance and international cooperation in maintaining open skies between Nigeria and the US. With Lagos vying to reassert itself as a West African hub, retaining the confidence of global security agencies is  a commercial and geopolitical imperative.