Ex-NAMA Boss Urges Facilities’Upgrade At Airports

An executive and former acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Emma Anasi has called for the support of the Federal Government in the agency’s bid to upgrade the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON).
Anasi who made the call while speaking to newsmen at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, noted that some International Civic Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) were not incorporated in the TRACON System at the time of installation.
He said the agency had no alternative than  to upgrade TRACON, especially as it would enable the system be compatible with the ongoing Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation which would require an  Aeronautical message handling system.
According to him, the radar upgrade is also required to accommodate other third party equipment being interfaced into the system such as activating the mode ‘s’ switch which he said would facilitate real time dissemination of flight plan.
“This will reduce the work load on the part of air traffic controllers and  enhance controller-pilot communication as well as airspace safety”, he said.
Anasi also used the opportunity to assure stakeholders and the air passengers that the nation’s airspace remains safe for air navigation, adding that the agency’s  navigational facilities were working at optimal levels.
He however commended the ingenuity of indigenous NAMA engineers who have efficiently and effectively handled the maintenance of the equipment nationwide.
The aviation expert maintained that NAMA engineers have continued to respond promptly to challenges as they occur so as to ensure safety of the Nigerian airspace.