NCAA reads riot act to pilots on harmattan haze

Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Tuesday read the riot act to airline pilots, operators and other stakeholders on the safety procedures to adopt in handling dust haze occasioned by harmattan.

Spokesman of the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye disclosed this in a statement.

According to Adurogboye, the regulatory body, the riot act had become imperative in its resolve to ensure safe flight operations in the Nigerian airspace.

He said the NCAA issued an advisory circular to alert pilots of the hazards associated with dust haze which is a dry and dusty wind that blows from the Sahara across Nigeria.

Adurogboye said: “This situation is expected to persist till March, 2019.

“As issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency in its Seasonal Rainfall Prediction Bulletin-2019, the cessation of the rainy season is predicted from mid-October (in the Northern part) to early December, 2019 (in the Southern part).

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“With the issuance of this circular, Advisory Circular AC: NCAA – AEROMET 27 dated 26th March, 2019 is accordingly cancelled.

“Pilots/Operators are therefore directed to note the following hazards and operational problems forthwith:

“Air-to-ground visibility may be considerably reduced due to dust haze;

“Aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed operating minima and in severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers and airfield lightings over wide areas making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible.”

He warned that Flights were bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima.

He said: “On the other hand, enumerated below are series of responsibilities for Pilots, Operators and Air Traffic Controllers:

“Pilots shall exercise maximum restraint when severe weather condition is observed or forecast by Nimet.”

“Flight Crews/Operators and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) shall ensure adherence to aerodrome weather minima;

“All Pilots shall obtain adequate departure, en-route, destination and alternate aerodromes weather information and briefing from the aerodrome meteorological office prior to flight operations; and

“Operators shall ensure that necessary measures are put in place to cushion the effects of flight delays or cancellations on their passengers.

“From the foregoing, the regulatory authority will expect strict compliance from all stakeholders as violation will be seriously viewed.”