By Isaac Tersoo Agber
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has stepped up its gears with the provision of 24 hours radar control service for Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres (ACCs).
The area radar service, which was only available between Mondays and Fridays from 7am to 7pm, has now been extended to 24hrs daily, seven days a week.
Assuring the airlines and the general public on this development, the Managing Director, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam said: ‘’this feat became feasible following an aggressive manpower training by the agency to boost capacity of safety critical Air Traffic Control and Engineering personnel required to provide the service. With this development, we have further enhanced safety and efficiency in air traffic management because the use of radar increases capacity to maximize utilization of available airspace with precision, accuracy and less workload to the Air Traffic Controllers and flight crew while also enabling aircraft to fly at optimum trajectories.”
Abdulsalam, who noted that the non-stop provision of area radar service was in line with the ongoing digitalization of the Nigerian airspace by the agency, expressed confidence that flight times would be further reduced due to direct routing, translating to reduced fuel consumption by the airlines.
He added that round-the-clock radar surveillance would give a boost to the nation’s preparedness in search and rescue operations.
It would be recalled that NAMA, on the 30th of May 2013, successfully commenced the provision of area radar control service within the Nigerian airspace, enabling the agency to seamlessly manage en-route flights digitally with efficiency and exactitude.