CITA Unveils N500m Facility for Nigerian Airlines
A jet fueling firm in Nigeria, CITA Aviation Fueling Company has unveiled its ultra modern Aviation Fuel Storage and Handling Depot near the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.
The project, which cost about N500 million, was built with latest edition of filtering technology and has the capacity of about 1.8 million litres with 1.5 million litres dedicated to jet fuel and 300,000 litres dedicated to water and foam as a precaution against fire disaster.
Speaking at the launch, Managing Director of CITA Aviation Fueling Company, Mr. Thomas Ogungbangbe described CITA as one of the fastest growing aviation fueling companies in Nigeria with expertise in quality service delivery. He said the company, which is currently operating in 10 major airports in Nigeria has invested lots of money in the new facility to maintain its leadership status in the jet fueling industry.
He said: “Most of the things you see in this depot are fifth edition of filters, the latest in the aviation world. We have companies that are still on second or third edition. We have invested so much here to get it right because, there is no packing space in the sky; that is why we are zero tolerance to error.”
Ogungbangbe noted that CITA, as part of its commitment to industry excellence is sponsoring a research on Microbial Contamination of jet fuel with the sum of US$100,000 at the University of Ilorin. He said the research when concluded will contribute immensely to knowledge in the aviation sector.
The MD/CEO of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, who was represented by the General Manager, Mechanical, FAAN, Ephraim Nwodo, described the new CITA facility as the beginning of good things in the aviation industry. He said FAAN was excited to be part of the success stories of CITA and that the end result has shown that its partnership with the jet fueling giant was not a mistake.
Director of Operations, AERO Contractors, Mr. Russell Lee Foon, said he was impressed with the achievement of CITA in less than three years. “CITA is now a household name. In a limited space of three years, they were able to make it happen. I am very emotional about this great success,” he said.