NAMA To Deploy Data Link Communication To Airports

The Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency (NAMA) in conjunction with SITA is deploying Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), facilities at the Lagos and Kano Control Centres to enhance long range communication between air Traffic Controllers and the pilots.
The system of communication, according to the Managing Director of the agency, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, would assist in the decongestion of busy ATC frequencies at Lagos and Kano area control centre, thereby promoting safe and efficient flow of traffic within the nations airspace. In addition, the deployment of CPDLC would reduce ATC and pilot workload within the airspace”.
The installation of CPDLS,  NAMA boss explained, would also enhance Air traffic also enhance Air Traffic Management (ATM) capacity while ensuring accuracy of data exchanged between ATC pilots of aircraft in flight.
In his address at the 2014 National Conference in Nigerian Airport Managers, which held at UK Bello Arts Theatre in Minna, Niger State, Abdulsalam said deployment of the equipment would boost revenue collection by providing adequate accurate and timely data for effective billing and collection.
“With the increasing growth in Air Traffic and the growing demand of air navigation services, there was no need for NAMA to deploy appropriate infrastructure and technology in order to enhance capacity in safety critical areas as well as search and rescue coordination”, he added.
The NAMA boss also hinted that, as far as the nation’s preparedness in emergency responses, the agency has concluded plans to develop a Strategic Disaster Recovery Centre for the provision of communication, surveillance, air traffic management to enhance uninterrupted services.
When in place, the centre would equally provide online, real time information in the event of unforeseen contingency.
Also, as part of the project Abdulsalam said the agency would acquire two Mobile Radar Trucks for Lagos and Abuja airports, additional Mobile Control towers for contingency use and installation of 3-Dimensional vertical tower stimulators at Lagos and Abuja for in-house training.
The agency, according to NAMA boss, would also establish additional Area Control Centres in Abuja and Port Harcourt among others.
He lauded the airspace managers for their “dedication to duty and ingenuity in managing the operational, technical, financial and administrative challenges” at their various stations and also enjoined them to put safety first in all their considerations as the onus lies on them to effectively and efficiently deploy the huge safety- critical infrastructure in their domains to bring about  seamlessness and safety in the nation’s airspace.
Abdulsalam, accompanied  by the 32 airspace managers in attendance, paid a courtesy visit to the governor who was presented an award for his contributions to the safety of air navigation in the country.
In his remarks, Aliyu thanked NAMA for its efforts at promoting the safety of the Nigerian airspace and also expressed concern over the “slow  pace of renovation work going on at the Minna airport in view of the fact that the airport is an alternate airport to Abuja.