Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

NAMA deploys new landing system, VSAT at Enugu Airport

By Wole Oyebade
28 January 2020   |   4:01 am
Ahead of its reopening in April, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has upgraded the Instrument Landing System/Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to Category II.

Ahead of its reopening in April, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has upgraded the Instrument Landing System/Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, to Category II.
  
The upgrade was completed at the weekend with the installation of new landing equipment.
A successful site acceptance test on the equipment has also been conducted by NAMA engineers in Enugu, in preparation for its calibration in the coming days.
  
In a related development, the agency has also installed a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) for satellite communication at the Airport, in a bid to address communication blind spots in the Lagos South East corridor.

  
This SATCOM (Satellite Communication) node has further been integrated into the national satellite communication network, which is linked to the AFISNET (African Indian Ocean SATCOM Network).
  
Also linked to the VSAT is the newly installed Remote Control Air-Ground (RCAG) Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication system, ensuring that Enugu now has an extended VHF coverage on 127.3MHz  frequency for Lagos South East sector.
  
The Federal Government last year approved the sum of N10 billion for the rehabilitation of the airport. The aerodrome was in August 2019, shut down for urgent repairs following safety concerns over the damaged runway.
 
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently inspected the ongoing reconstruction exercise, and gave the assurance of a re-opening by April.
   
The Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, noted with delight that radio communication along the Lagos South East sector had “improved tremendously,” adding that the installation of the VHF radio in Enugu was “particularly significant as the city is strategically located to accommodate over six routes, both local and international.”
  
“Enugu being on higher latitude can cover for Manfe entry/exit reporting point in Cameroun for international flights like Ethiopian, Rwanda Airlines, Kenya Airways, South Africa Airways and the like,” Akinkuotu said.
  
The NAMA boss hinted that the new installation has provided AFTN (Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network) link that would enhance effective data communication for transmission of flight plans, NOTAMs and Aeronautical Communication messages, just as it has provided effective coordination between Enugu tower and Lagos Area Control Centre through the ATS/DS (Air Traffic Services/ Direct Speech) for departing and arriving traffic ahead of time.

In this article

0 Comments