NAMA Makes 24-hr Service Pledge

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has declared its intention to commence a 24-hour service in three airports in the country as from March this year.

Mazi Nnamdi Udoh, managing director, said that the agency will open its round the clock flight operations in Yola, Owerri and Enugu airports after full installation of air field lightings.

Udoh revealed that NAMA will negotiate with airport authority and airline operators wishing to operate night flights at the airports.

"The reason while I think there is nothing wrong in creating 24 hours operation, where there are no 24 hours operations, if you are coming late, you pay NAMA money but if I make it 24 hours, I want to think that more planes will come and pay us more money. We are going to make all these airports 24 hours from March when the manpower is available.

“There will be NOTAM for the airports. Critical among them is Yola, Owerri and Enugu, we want to do that so that the airlines can schedule their operations. We will talk with them and find out which airport they want and any airport any operator wants will be available 24 hours. There is no point keeping it open and we don’t use it because most of those airports run on diesel” Udoh noted.

The NAMA MD explained further on communication coverage thus, “Today, the total VHF Coverage is finished, we are just transiting from the old technology switching from one old system until finally everybody will smile. No more stories about TRACON, today is communication and tomorrow it may be AIS".

According to him, the Automatic Dependent Broadcast System (ADBS) will be installed in the Oceanic areas and in Niger Delta for Helicopters operations.

This, he would be followed by Data Link (Cockpit Pilot Controller Link) to assist Pilots with telex on board,  adding that it would reduce voice communications between the pilot and control tower.

Udoh said Radar has the capability of doing that. “Like an Helicopter flying from Port Harcourt to Omagwa in oil fields, pilots needs ADSB to monitor at low level like that”

He announced that the agency was still looking at multi-lateration for Zaria due to the availability of small trainee aircraft for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.

He disclosed that the technology could also be used for surveillance to ascertain the position of the planes.