Airport Maintenance: NAMA Saves N1.5bn

The Nigerian Air
space Management Agency (NAMA), has said that no less than N1.5 billion has been saved in the last two years by engaging indigenous engineers in the maintenance of airport facilities.
The Acting Managing Director, NAMA, Emmanuel Anasi, stated this in Lagos, while briefing members of the House committee on Aviation, led by its chairman, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, on activities of the agency.
Anasi said the savings were made following the disengagement of the manufacturers of the total Radar coverage of Nigeria (RACON) adding that installers of the facility left two years ago after they trained their Nigerian counterparts on radar maintenance.
He noted that NAMA injected more funds into the project to enable it upgrade the TRACON system to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation Standard and migrate the system to new technology in order to harmonise its activities.
According to him, “noting is wrong with TRACON, but some of the systems were not included when the radar was installed”.
He pointed out that if a facility is well equipped, it would reduce the work load of the Air Traffic Controllers.
He observed that the nation’s airspace was safe and the agency was working towards improving the system, and added that a team of NAMA engineers was already working to enhance communication between pilots and controllers.