NAMA deploys equipment to enhance air transport safety

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has pledged to install Extended Very High Frequency Radio systems nationwide to improve industry safety.

With the installation of the equipment, NAMA said that blind spots in the country’s airspace would be covered while safety and security in the air and on ground would further be enhanced.

Acting Managing Director of the agency, Lawrence Pwajok, said the equipment, which is to boost air-to-ground communication, is already installed in some northern stations of the country including, Abuja and Kano, while that of Lagos centre would be installed in the next one week.

Pwajok noted that NAMA has a Category III system in Lagos and Abuja airports, which could make aircraft land in zero visibility weather conditions.

But for the equipment to be functional, other navigation equipment provided by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), like the airfield lighting must be upgraded to the Category III status, while aircraft and pilots must also be in compliance.

He also said that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) must certify the equipment, aircraft and pilots for that purpose.

Pwajok further stated that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), which was installed in 2010, needed upgrade as most of its software has become obsolete.

According to him, since the contract for the maintenance of the radar expired in 2014, the contract has not been renewed, saying that there was the need to have an improved system to further improve safety nationwide.

Reacting, the Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Smart Adeyemi, promised that the National Assembly would make provision for the upgrade of the radar.

Also, the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau – Nigeria (AIB-N), Akin Olateru, said the bureau planned to open an emergency mobile satellite office with all the paraphernalia of a real office.

According to him, this will help the investigators to create a mobile office at the crash site and download the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) right at the crash site without having to delay the process.

Olateru explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the contract for the award of the project, adding that the procurement process had also commenced, while delivery is being awaited from the contractor.

He noted that through the quality safety recommendations on serious incidents and accidents in the sector, AIB-N had helped to contribute to the safety recorded in the sector in recent years, maintaining that the aviation industry in Nigeria could be compared to any other developed one in the world.

He said: “Since 2016 to date, our country has had only one fatal accident. The sector is one of the best in the world in Nigeria. The safer airspace is due to the implementation of safety recommendations released by AIB-N.

“We have grown to the position where we help nations to set up their accident bureaus. France just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with us. This will enable us to help the francophone countries in Africa in accident investigation. AIB has the first accredited laboratory in Africa today.”