NAMA Admits Radio Communication Challenges In Airspace

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has reassured the travelling public of the safety of the Nigerian airspace while admitting that there were still challenges in radio communication within the nation’s airspace.

Managing Director of NAMA, Mr Nnamdi Udoh, said in Lagos yesterday that the agency was working towards overcoming such challenges, adding that there was  a medium-term plan for the implementation of the Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) that would further boost the safety of the airspace.

He however, said it was wrong to allude to the fact that pilots were flying blindly in the airspace stressing that no pilot could ever take- off from the ground without receiving instructions from the air traffic control.

“To address some of the challenges we have had in the past, the agency embarked on several safety critical projects one of which includes the Total VHF Radio Coverage of the Nigerian airspace.  It is worthy to say the project has been successfully completed and the deliverables of the project provides VHF radio services for both Lagos and Kano.”

While admitting that there were  some challenges manifesting  at the airspace during peak periods especially  now when there is heavy traffic in the airspace,he  added that such did not mean that the airspace which handles more than 500 flights a day excluding the overfliers and helicopter operations (320 flights) was unsafe.

He said this has resulted in what he said was a sectorisation of the nation’s airspace.

“Currently, a team of air traffic controllers and engineers are working on the technical and operational implementation of the sectorisation which includes but not limited to drawing of procedures, gap analysis and safety audits of the process.”

He further reiterated that the nation’s airspace was safe for flight operations, while lamenting that negative reports only portrayed the airspace in very bad light.

“For the umpteenth time, the agency want to use this platform to reassure Nigerians and all airspace users, pilots and other stakeholders on the safety of the airspace”, said Udoh.