The present study employed airlift sequencing batch reactor system to develop the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and organic carbon from synthetic tannery wastewater by seeding with conventional tannery aerobic sludge. The reactor (working volume of 5L) was run for 61d at by automated control of the SBR cycles, pH, DO and temperature. The reactor was run at 18 at constant 50% volume exchange ratio. The performance of the reactor was evaluated interms of TCOD, sCOD, BOD, TKN, NH4-N, NO3-N, NO2-N, DO and pH profiles. At the start of the operation, the reactor was run at an HRT of 10d resulting in MLSS of (3.5-4g/L), during these periods, the reactor shows no conversion or removal of the ammonical nitrogen for the first 30d an indication that the nitrifier's population in the seed sludge was very less. Ammoncal nitrogen conversion started after 30 days of operation. During this time, the reactor shows almost complete carbon removal and unstable partial nitrification to nitrite with very less conversion to nitrate. Evaluation of the performance of the reactor at steady state shows a 94.6% COD, 80±5%NH4-N and 43%TN removal efficiency.