NCAA approves new aeronautical information management

THE Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Usman Muhtar has stated that the transition from Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM)has been necessary, so as to meet the increased need for safety in the global aviation industry.

Speaking at a workshop on the transition in Lagos, on Tuesday, he said that these changes would warrant the transition to a more robust data-driven aeronautical information management, which has to meet with the users requirements in integrity, resolution, accuracy, completeness, timelines and accessibility among others.

According to him, “the ultimate goal of AIM is to evolve into generic information management, which is the implementation of system-wide information management”.

This will include a global, distributed aeronautical data management environment, managing the aeronautical content, as well as the technical elements”.

He added that the transition of AIM will not involve many changes in terms of the scope of information to be distributed, but that, the major change will be the increased emphasis on data distribution, which should place the future AIM in a position to better serve airspace users.

Muhtar, who noted that safety remains the highest priority to NCAA and indeed to the global aviation community, said: “we do not downplay any idea, be it personal, community or industry based that propagates, enhances, or supports safety on our airspace.

Being the aviation oversight authority in Nigeria, we cannot but key into the ideas of the global aviation community to promote safe aircraft operations in our airspace and indeed the sub-region”. “NCAA therefore does approve of the transition from AIS to AIM and will give necessary support to this project”, he stated.

He however called on the stakeholders to get involved in the business of safety in the Nigeria’s aviation environment, as there would be enormous tasks involved in the transition from AIS to AIM.