The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Air traffic

  • Air traffic controllers seek restructuring of aviation agencies

    Air traffic controllers seek restructuring of aviation agencies

    •NATCA urges Buhari to probe sector

    The Nigeria Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has canvassed the restructuring of the nation’s aviation agencies in line with their primary functions as enshrined in Acts establishing them.

    Its President, Mr. Victor Eyaru, spoke at the association’s 44th annual general meeting and conference in Akure, Ondo State.

    He said the restructuring would reduce burdens of duplication of departments and directorates as against the originally designed structures.

    Eyaru urged the Federal Government to reduce corruption and wastages in the system by extending its probe to the aviation sector.

    He called on the government to extend most of the airports aprons, complete abandoned terminal buildings and create more jobs through the proposed new national carrier.

    The association’s president decried the abandoned Lagos airports taxiway for more than six years.

    He added that the inaction has reduced the capacity of the airport and prevented aircraft from accessing its vital areas.

    Eyaru said air traffic controllers formed only 12 per cent of the total staff strength of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) as against 45 and 70 per cent for other sister organisations outside the country.

    He said paucity of fund in the agency slowed down timely renewal of facilities and the training of core aviation professionals in statutory areas to ensure proficiency in air safety.

  • Air traffic controllers embark on six hours strike

    Air traffic controllers embark on six hours strike

    Air traffic controllers across the country Thursday Morning  embarked on a six hours warning strike to draw the attention of the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA), to epileptic air navigation equipment as well as failure to address welfare issues  raised last year.

    The warning strike according to sources is a prelude to total industrial action scheduled to begin on Monday April 20, 2015.

    Investigations revealed that flights are not disrupted at airports nationwide because the management of NAMA has put in place a contingency plan to mitigate any effects of the warning strike.

    Part of the contingency plan, is the use of Nigerian Air Force personnel as traffic controllers at airports nationwide.

    An official of NAMA said the management has commenced discussions with members of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA), on how to resolve the issues affecting their welfare and working equipment.

    The official said the managing director of NAMA, Engineer  Ibrahim Abdulsalam is already in Abuja to meet relevant ministry officials on how to resolve the impending industrial action by air traffic controllers.

    The official said by Friday, the matter would have been resolved amicably between NAMA and the striking air traffic controllers.

    Last year at its annual general meeting in Kano, members of NATCA in a communiqué complained of epileptic air navigation equipment at airports nationwide, even as they complained about intolerable working conditions.

    In statement Thursday, NATCA speaking through its national president, Comrade Victor Eyaru said:” It is against the background of no action plan and political will to implement the agreements earlier reached with our association and others that has necessitated this corresponding action by air traffic controllers in Nigeria.

    Today’s action will last six hours only as a warning sign but in preparation for a major and total industrial action which shall commence on Monday April 20, 2015, if relevant government bodies continue to threat air traffic controllers issues with utmost levy or neglect.

    Tempers are high, but industrial peace and harmony must be the concern of everybody.”

    Last year, air traffic controllers cited incessant failure of air navigation equipment at airports nationwide as part of the reasons why the association is embarking on strike.

    The association also complained about epileptic and alarming failure of air navigation equipment, which has increased the work load of both air traffic controllers and pilots.

    A statement signed and issued by Comrade Victor Egaru and Olawode Banji, President and General Secretary respectively, said it is disheartening that in the last two months that the CNS/ATM equipment has been epileptic and alarming, thereby increasing the workloads of both ATCs and Pilots.

    “Presently, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) serving the Lagos Runway 18R has been unserviceable for close to three months while the one serving the Second Runway (18L) have been epileptic for more than one month.

    “The distance measuring equipment on located with the VOR in Lagos has been out of service for a long time as well. Equipment in many airports including communication facilities suffer that same fate.”

  • Air traffic controllers threaten strike

    Air traffic controllers threaten strike

    Members of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) have reiterated their threat to withdraw air traffic services at airports nationwide.

    The development followed the refusal of the aviation union and the management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to shift ground during their meeting yesterday.

    The withdrawal of services may be effective from the early hours of today, owing to what the air traffic controllers described as poor welfare package, incessant equipment failure, inadequate tools as well as excessive work load, which, they said, “constitute serious threat to safety”.

    But, the Nigeria Air Force, it was learnt, has been put on standby to offer air traffic control services, if NATCA members make good their threat.

    The controllers said as arrowheads of air safety, the management of NAMA failed to address various health hazards the job exposed them to, in addition to inconclusive , delayed and inadequate training  spanning over four years.

    As at the time of writing this report, the management of NAMA and the air traffic controllers’ association were meeting at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos to resolve the issue.

    Relevant aviation unions, including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), NATCA and civil society groups were also attending the meeting.

  • 40 air traffic controllers for training

    A total of 40 Air Traffic Controllers are to proceed for training this month on Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in Cairo, Egypt as part of efforts by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to enhance capacity of its critical manpower in operations.

    According to the Managing Director, Mr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, the training is part of the wider effort of management in ensuring the continuous training and retraining of personnel to keep pace with dynamics of evolving technology. Abdulsalam  who was represented  by the Acting  Direrector of Operations,  Mr Edward Ogedegbe, at this year’s Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) Annual General Meeting (AGM),which held in Kano, also stated that another five Air Traffic Controllers have been billed for   Wind Shear Equipment training in Germany by December, 2014.

    The NAMA boss said that with the Mode ‘S’ Data link and Controller/Pilot Data Link (CPDLC) almost ready for takeoff, much of verbal communication between pilots and control tower would give way to digital/data communication, leading to less fatigue and increased flight precision.

    Abdulsalam also expressed delight that management’s effort in staff training has boosted the area radar control service introduced last year with more Air Traffic Controllers, successfully obtaining ratings from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA).

    Similarly, the NAMA boss  also stated that the collective and harmonious collaboration of the Army, Navy, Air Force and NAMA in airspace coordination will guarantee the safety and security of both civil and military users. He spoke at the 2014 Airspace Management Seminar held at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State.

    He noted that since the airspace is a single resource, the flexibility of its usage by both civil and military will make for more flight efficiency and economic air navigation.

    He said  NAMA is committed to providing technical and operational support for the planned deployment of military radars in support of national security as well as ensuring the interoperability of civil/military components of TRACON.

    Air Commodore Bello Garba of Command Evaluation, Headquarters Command, Kaduna, called for ‘’more concerted liaison between NAMA and the Nigerian Air Force at both strategic and unit levels to ensure effective airspace coordination.

     

     

  • Air traffic controllers issue 21 days’ ultimatum to NAMA

    Air traffic controllers issue 21 days’ ultimatum to NAMA

    AIR traffic controllers under the Nigeria Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) have issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

    The group, in a communiqué by its President, Victor Eyaru, and General Secretary, Banji Olawode, demanded that outstanding, unresolved as well as pending issues regarding air traffic controllers’ remuneration, professional allowances and promotion/advancement in NAMA should be resolved within 21 days .

    The ultimatum, which begins from today, was issued at the end of NATCA’s 43rd yearly general meeting in Kano State at the weekend.

    The association warned that its threat to go on strike should be taken seriously by the management of NAMA because controllers could ground flight operations nationwide because of the sensitive services.

    Also, the air controllers requested the review of the allowances of their members working at the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, stressing that they have been waiting for approval at the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission since 2010.

    They urged that the allowances be released for implementation within the same time-frame, failure by which they threatened to act within the legitimate means recognised by labour law to press home their demands.

    They vowed to resist alleged plan by NAMA management to appoint non-air traffic controller as Airspace Manager at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, describing it as absurd and unacceptable.

    “In addition, NATCA demands that the headship of all stations be reverted to Air Traffic Controllers,” the communiqué stated.

    Eyaru and Olawode lauded the efforts of NCAT at improving on its training facilities such as virtual tower and radar simulators.

    It however opposed the deployment of the radar simulators outright for the training of ATCOs in radar control until the equipment has been deployed to carry out radar refresher courses to allow for proper appraisal of both the equipment and manpower.

    The air traffic controllers appealed that sufficient and timely training and re-training should be given to their members to remedy the inadequate, abridged and inconclusive form of training being experienced over time, which serves as threats to air safety.

    Meanwhile, NAMA said 40  air traffic controllers would undergo  a  two-day theory and five days practical in Egypt this month while another five air traffic controllers would be trained on wind shear equipment located in five stations in Nigeria by December.

    Speaking at the NATCA’s meeting , Managing Director of NAMA, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, said the management was sending the Air traffic controllers on performance based navigation training as part of measures to bridge the inadequate manpower gap in air traffic control in Nigeria.

    Abdulsalam was represented by the Director of Operations, Edward Ogedegbe .

    He said : “The new management is taking training serious. A few days from now,  four groups of 10 air traffic controllers  will be train in the first instance in Cairo, another set of  five persons will go to Germany next month”.

  • Air traffic controllers slam Synagogue’s claim on aircraft

    Air traffic controllers slam Synagogue’s claim on aircraft

    The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has criticised the Synagogue Church of all Nation over claims that a mysterious aircraft flew over the church building a few minutes after it collapsed.

    President of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Victor Eyaru described as unacceptable, the information from the church located in Ikotun in Lagos that the building caved in moments after a mysterious aircraft hovered around the building undergoing construction.

    He spoke at the weekend in Kano.

    A section of the Synagogue Church Building collapsed on September 12.

    Eyaru, in his address at the 43rd annual general meeting of NATCA in Kano said the collapse should not be linked to any air traffic control activity.

    He said:” We want to state categorically that where the church is located is not part of either restricted or prohibited airspace where air traffic cannot take place”.

    “The aircraft in question was undertaking normal aviation practice in accordance to prescribed procedures and any link to the building collapse is absurd, laughable and acceptable”.

  • Air traffic controllers threaten to withdraw services

    Air traffic controllers threaten to withdraw services

    Members of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) have threatened to withdraw air traffic advisory services to domestic airlines, if they failed to remit their outstanding Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC) to four aviation agencies, which would enable them meet their statutory safety obligations.

    They listed the agencies as the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).

    NATCA urged the Federal Government to call the erring domestic operators to order, saying a further delay in remitting the outstanding ticket and cargo sales charge would force it to withhold its services.

    In a statement by Victor Eyaru and Banji Olawole, NATCA’s President and General Secretary, the air traffic controllers said the domestic airlines’ indebtedness to various aviation agencies had crippled the funding of their facilities and operations.

    NATCA said it was worried by the looming danger to air safety, following the non-remittance of the TSC, which has run into billions of naira collected on behalf of aviation agencies.

    The association explained that the domestic airlines’ huge debts to the organisations have impacted negatively on their safety functions.

    The agencies, NATCA said, require huge funds to buy and maintain operational equipment and train its manpower to attain optimal performance.

    It said: “It is therefore imperative that non remittance of this fund by domestic airlines would jeopardize the ability of the agencies to finance their safety critical functions. This is unsafe to air navigation within the Nigerian airspace and calls for serious actions”