The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) says, all airports in the country have been equipped with landing aids and Satellite Based Navigation procedures to enable aircraft operate at any time of the day into these airports.
Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok who stated this at the 26th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), in Lagos said, the idea of tagging some airports in the country as sunrise or sunset airports was misplaced, given that all airports in Nigeria have facilities for approach and landing.
According to the NAMA boss, the agency had invested heavily on navigational facilities more than any other facilities, adding that, apart from Owerri and Calabar where the agency is working to install Category II Instrument Landing systems (CAT II ILS), and Jalingo that has no instrument landing system for now, basically all airports in Nigeria have a minimum of CAT II ILS, most of which were installed brand new and there is nothing like obsolete navigational facilities.
To tackle visibility issues in some airports during adverse weather, he said, the agency commenced the implementation of Category III ILS in Abuja and Lagos airports while those of Katsina, Kano and Port Harcourt were being installed and would be ready before the end of 2022.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the chairman of LAAC, Olusegun Koiki decried the high cost of aviation fuel and foreign exchange which he said had precipitated the vulnerability of airlines in Nigeria.
This year’s LAAC conference with the theme: Sunset Airports: Economic and Safety Implications attracted industry bigwigs, investors, airlines, and stakeholders who all brainstormed on the way forward for the aviation sector.
RN
