Get Guardian on GoogleFormer Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Musa Nuhu, has called on aviation agencies, airlines and other industry stakeholders to embrace Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) in addressing institutional fragmentation, reduce flight delays and strengthen safety in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Speaking yesterday as a panellist at the 55th yearly general meeting of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) with the theme: ‘Beyond Silos To Synergy: Shaping the Future of Nigerian Air Traffic Management,’ Nuhu said the continued operation of aviation agencies in institutional silos had created inefficiencies that weakened the overall performance of the sector.
He emphasised that air traffic controllers often bear the consequences of poor coordination among industry operators.
Nuhu emphasised that although the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and airlines had distinct statutory responsibilities, their operations were interconnected and required effective information-sharing and coordinated decision-making.
According to him, the traditional approach, in which air traffic control manages the skies, airlines oversee flight operations, airports manage terminal facilities and meteorological agencies provide weather information independently, had encouraged reactive decisions and compounded operational disruptions.
He added: “When airlines experience delayed aircraft turnaround or ground handlers encounter operational difficulties, air traffic controllers are sometimes the last to receive such information. This results in sudden demands on tower and approach control services.
“The absence of shared operational information can lead to unnecessary holding patterns, ground stops, increased workload for air traffic controllers, congestion on taxiways and additional fuel consumption, particularly during peak traffic periods and adverse weather conditions.”
Besides, Nuhu advocated a shift towards an integrated aviation operational system, stressing that collaborative decision-making was a strategic approach that would enable stakeholders to share accurate, real-time information and jointly address operational challenges.
He explained that the concept would align the interests of aviation agencies and operators towards common objectives, including improved predictability, operational efficiency and resilience, rather than allowing individual organisations to focus exclusively on their institutional performance targets.
In a bid to achieve seamless aviation operations, Nuhu recommended the establishment of a Standing System Operations Committee comprising operational representatives of NAMA, FAAN, airlines and NiMet at major airports.
He suggested that the committee should have the authority to make real-time operational decisions during disruptions, rather than function as a forum for discussions among senior management officials.
He also called for the introduction of unified performance indicators that would measure agencies collectively against parameters such as system-wide flight delays and the accuracy of aircraft readiness forecasts.
For safety management, the former NCAA boss advocated the adoption of a Joint Safety Action Team (JSAT) framework to identify, assess and mitigate safety risks that cut across institutional boundaries.
