The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) says plans are underway to ensure an automated system that will enhance capacity and provide efficient safety in air traffic management in the country.
The Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Mr Matthew Pwajok said this when he featured in a Forum at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to Pwajok, the increased demand for air travel in the country has made it imperative to increase the services provided and facilities that enhance safety of flight operations nationwide
“And so our strategic plan or our road map is to be able to provide improved capacity of air traffic management system.
“And by that we mean, our control towers, our area control centres, our control units that provide guidance for flight, that provide support for safety and efficiency of flight are expanded to be able to accommodate the expected growth in traffic.
“The International Civil Aviation Organisation predicted that every 15 years, there is a doubling, a 100 per cent increase in flight operations and movement of flights.
“So we did a 15 year prediction to 2030, a national plan from 2015 to 2030 incorporating various strategic programmes that will enhance navigation, that will enhance communication system.
”That will enhance surveillance system, that will enhance air traffic management system as well as search and rescue aeronautical information management system.
“So, bottom line is, our strategy is to provide automated systems,’’ Pwajok said.
He noted that the agency had been using a procedural or manual system in the past that took a lot of time and increased workload for the air traffic controllers.
He explained that with the automated system, workload, errors and inaccuracy would be reduced, adding that it would also enhance the integrity of the information provided to pilots.
“So the strategy is to automate our systems for communication, for navigation, for surveillance, for air traffic management systems and for search and rescue as well as air space planning.
“So we have a couple of projects that we have scheduled and some of them are already been implemented.
“What we want to achieve is what I will refer to as automated air traffic management system from gate-to-gate. From departure gate to the arrival gate,’’ he said.
The NAMA boss said this would ensure provision of surveillance/radar control from the packing gate to the runway for departure/ take-off, for air road flight and arrival at the destination airport.
He said:“ And by this , I mean we have total radar control, we are implementing what we call surface movement radar and ground control, a surveillance system that will be able to see aircraft on the ground.
“The existing radar system that we have, which has been in existence since 2010 provides for guidance of aircraft in flight, but we are in the process of implementing in Lagos and Abuja, surface movement radar.
“A radar system that will pick air craft and vehicles on the surface of the airport or what we call the maneuvering area, guide this aircraft from the packing gate all the way to the runway for take-off.
“And hands over again to the next radar unit which guides the aircraft in the initial climb and initial flight to the in-route phase and to the arrival at the destination airport and be guided on landing to the next gate at the arrival gate.
“So the whole concept is gate-to-gate automated air traffic management system that will enhance the safety and efficiency of flight operations.’’
According to Pwajok, a surface movement radar is also being implemented that will complement the existing total radar coverage that monitors and controls aircraft in flight.
“So in addition to controlling them in flight, we also control them with radar on the ground to enhance safety, he added.
Pwajok said it was responsible for providing air navigation services such as air traffic management services, communication, navigation and surveillance equipment.
He said it provided aeronautical information management services, aeronautical telecommunication services, search and rescue services, as well as air space planning services among others. (NAN)