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Tag: Fola Akinkuotu

  • Emirates upgrades aircraft on Abuja route

    Emirates Airlines has upgraded its operating aircraft on the Abuja route to a Boeing 777-300ER from the 777-300 classic.

    The upgrade took effect at the weekend.

    The airline according to its Regional Manager West Africa, Afzal Parambil took the step as part of its commitment to the Nigerian market.

    He said “The upgrade of our Abuja service to a Boeing 777-300ER demonstrates our commitment to the Nigeria market and is another step to ensure we offer world class products and services to our customers.

    “Since its launch in 2014 Emirates boosted international tourism and trade in Abuja from a raft of destinations in the Far East, West Asia, Middle East, Europe and North America.”

    “Emirates constantly strive to provide its passengers with the very best service and the introduction of a Boeing B777-300ER reflects that commitment.

    “Our 777-300ER will offer Emirates’ renowned cabin comforts and facilities, including our award-winning ice entertainment system.”

    ‘Our plans for air navigation equipment upgrade’

    Read Also: Abuja Airport runway reopens after hours of closure – FAAN

    Managing Director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu has unveiled plans by the agency upgrade air navigation equipment at airports across the country.

    According to Akinkuotu, the agency took the steps as part of its strategic plan to replace obsolete air navigation equipment at airports and other locations.

    Speaking in an interview last week in Lagos, he said the agency has addressed complaints in the performance of communication navigation and surveillance as well as air traffic management facilities.

    Akinkuotu said the agency in the last one year addressed radio communication challenges between pilots and air traffic controllers.

    Specifically, he said very high frequency radios have been installed in 17 airports for approach and aerodrome control.

    He said the agency also installed High power standalone VHF radios in Lagos and Abuja area control centers.

    Akinkuotu said: “The Lagos end has been commissioned and is in operation, while installation in Kano has just been completed and will soon be put to use.

    “Not satisfied yet, a contract called extended range VHF radio system has been signed to modernize the main radio communication network to increase the number of remote sites from the current eight to fourteen.”

    He said the agency is carrying out progressive installation of navigational equipment in more than 12 airport locations.

    Akinkuotu said: These include distant measuring equipment and instrument landing system and category instrument landing system for Lagos and Abuja Airports will soon be installed.

    “NAMA is collaboration with the Edo State Government is presently installing an instrument landing system in Benin Airport.”

    He also spoke of plans for the installation of Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) surveillance system for the Gulf of Guinea (Niger Delta Area ) for surveillance and control of low level flights, which will commence in a few weeks.”

    Meanwhile, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has declared that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), project is working optimally.

    NAMA also said that spare parts for the facility are regularly sourced from the manufacturer, Thales of France whenever required.

    Speaking in an interview, its Managing Director, Captain Fola Akinkuotu NAMA has regularly received spare parts from Thales of France since the project came on stream in 2010.

    He said the agency would continue to provide state-of-the-art air navigation services without compromising safety of lives and equipment.

  • NAMA begins sectorising of Lagos area control centre

    NAMA begins sectorising of Lagos area control centre

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA ) has begun the process of splitting the Lagos Sub-Flight Information Region (Sub-FIR) airspace into Lagos West and Lagos East Area Control sectors.

    NAMA spokesman, Steve Onabe, said in a statement on Sunday that the agency’s Chief Executive, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, announced the split at a stakeholders’sensitisation forum in Lagos.

    Akinkuotu said : “The process is in line with NAMA’s commitment towards enhancing quality of air traffic services in the country.

    “It is aimed at reducing congestion on the available en-route radio frequency as well as increasing Air Traffic Management (ATM) capacity in order to manage the growing air traffic volume and simultaneously reducing delays within the Kano FIR.”

    According to him, sectorising the Lagos ACC will bring about optimum utilisation of the airspace by reducing controller-pilot workload, thereby increasing efficiency and quality of service delivery.

    Akinkuotu, who was represented NAMA Director of Operations, Gabriel Akpen, expressed optimism that the service quality of Communication Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) would also be enhanced.

    The NAMA boss said the process would be streamlined in accordance with the provisions of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations ( NCARs ) consistent with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Standard and Recommended Practices (ICAO SARPs).

    As part of the process, he said the agency was currently optimising the Very High Frequency (VHF) radio and also installing a high-powered stand-alone VHF radio as backup to the total VHF coverage of Nigeria.

    Akinkuotu added that controller working positions on the ACC consuls were in proper ergonomic positions.

    He disclosed that the agency had embarked on aggressive manpower training and simulation exercises in collaboration with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, to shore up capacity.

    Akinkuotu noted that on-the-job training for air traffic control officers at Kano Area Control Centre which already had a running two-sector operation was in progress.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the  Lagos Area Control Centre was created out of Kano Area Control Centre which hitherto controlled the entire Nigerian airspace in 2001.

    It manages 15 subsidiary aerodromes within the southern sector of the Nigerian airspace including flights overflying the upper airspace.

  • NAMA begins competency appraisal for AIS officers

    NAMA begins competency appraisal for AIS officers

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA ) has started a competency appraisal of Aeronautical Information Services ( AIS ) officers in all airports across the country.

    Its Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said this in a statement in Lagos on Monday.

    Akinkuotu said that the exercise, which was targeted at testing AIS officers in areas such as Aeronautical Charts, AIS Publication and Operations, was started from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

    According to him, the exercise will be replicated in other airports in the country in the coming weeks.

    “Considering the pivotal role aeronautical information plays in safety of air navigation and in the light of ongoing migration to AIS Automation, due consideration must be given to the integrity of data being disseminated to airspace users, hence this exercise,”  he said.

    Akinkuotu said that NAMA placed premium on building capacity of staff, adding that sustained training and retraining of personnel were being carried out to ensure they possessed competencies required to perform critical functions.

    He said their functions impacted on safety and they needed to keep pace with modern trends in the highly dynamic world of aviation.

    The General Manager, AIS, Mr Kabir Gusau, said that the periodic competency checks were in line with Annex 15 of the International Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    Gusau said this was also necessary to ensure that personnel demonstrated the required competencies to handle specific critical operations.

    He said that constant assessment would enable the agency to detect and correct shortfalls as they occurred.

    In a related development, Akinkuotu has charged Air Traffic Controllers, who recently returned from a three-week Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Course in Kenya, to ensure that the training impacted positively on the overall safety procedures of the agency.

    Akinkuotu was quoted as saying this when he received the participants in his office in Lagos.

    The NAMA boss promised to approve the training of another batch of ATCs for the same course in November.

    He advised them to use the benefit of the course to improve on the agency’s ability to handle emergencies.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Course took place at the East African School of Aviation, Nairobi, Kenya.

    It is designed to equip participants with the capacity and skills to initiate Search and Rescue and man Rescue Coordination Centres in a Flight Information Region (FIR).

  • NAMA promotes top management staff

    NAMA promotes top management staff

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has approved the appointment, promotion and redeployment of top management staff of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

    The Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the minister made the approval through a circular issued  on Monday.

    Akinkuotu explained that the appointments were aimed at ensuring increased efficiency and effectiveness in the agency.

    He said the repositioning  of NAMA was to enhance productivity and  ensure all projects and programmes were properly executed bearing in mind accountability and adherence to timelines.

    Akinkuotu said Mr Farouk Umar had been confirmed as substantive Director, Safety Electronics and Engineering Service.

    Also, Mr Gabriel Akpen was promoted from the rank of General Manager, Search and Rescue/Civil Military Coordination, to Director of Operations, he said.

    “The Directorates of Human Resources and Administration have equally been merged with former General Manager, Customer Services/Servicom, Mr Maira Bashir, taking over as Director of Human Resources and Administration.

    “In the same vein, Mr Umoh Aniefiok, formerly of the Finance and Accounts Department at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been redeployed to NAMA as Director of Finance and Accounts,’’ Akinkuotu said.

    He added that Mr Khalid Emele is to head the Public Affairs Department of the agency as General Manager.”

    Akinkuotu said that three new Deputy General Managers (DGMs) had been appointed to head some strategic units in the agency.

    They are Ms Kaosarat Fawehinmi, DGM, Project Management Office; Mr Bajie F. Abang, DGM, Security Unit; and Obioma Solomon, DGM, Industrial Relations and Discipline.

    Akinkuotu thanked all staff of the agency for their continued support and urged those promoted to ensure service excellence and efficiency within the system.

    He advised them to ensure compliance with all government directives, particularly the recent Executive Orders issued for smooth conduct of government business.

  • NAMA begins implementation of FG’s executive orders

    NAMA begins implementation of FG’s executive orders

    Ahead of the June 8 deadline for the implementation of the Federal Government’s executive orders on the ease of doing business in the country, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) says it has begun the process of implementing the directive.

    The Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the agency had already updated its website showing the requirements, conditions and procedures for doing business or obtaining services in the organisation.

    This include all fees and timelines necessary for the processing of applications for the services of the agency, he said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had on May 18 signed three far-reaching executive orders to ease business, fast-track budget submission and promote made-in-Nigeria products.

    Akinkuotu said the agency would organise workshops to sensitise both staff and industry stakeholders to the essence and imperatives of the executive orders.

    In addition, he said NAMA would collaborate with other aviation agencies with a view to harmonising processes in order to achieve the single-user interface at the airports as directed by the federal government.

    According to Akinkuotu, in compliance with the order, the agency is working out modalities to increase local content in its procurement process as it will boost locally manufactured goods in the country.

    While urging staff to ensure strict compliance with the directives within the stipulated guidelines, NAMA Chief Executive Officer called for transparency on the part of the workers in their duties.

  • Kaduna Airport ready for international operations – FAAN, NAMA

    The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) say the Kaduna International Airport is now set for international operations.

    The Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Saleh Dunoma, said the organisation has installed all safety equipment needed for the operation.

    “All the things we need for international operations are on ground. What is important actually is the safety equipment for the landing of the aircraft.

    “We have seen the runway is good, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been installed and the terminal building is ready.

    “The contractor has been directed by the Acting President to redouble his effort so that the remaining items of work that are remaining should be completed before the commencement of the international operations in Kaduna.

    “I think this is one of the luckiest airports; they have five generators as standby power supply. So we have more than enough,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu, Managing Director of NAMA, said once the Abuja Airport was closed, NAMA would deploy the mobile tower from the airport to Kaduna to complement what is already on ground.

    He said that NAMA management had certified the capability of Kaduna Airport, adding that its engineers have done a good job on it.

     “As far as this (Kaduna) airport is concerned, NAMA management, we are very satisfied that we have done a good job.

    “At the inception of the project, the ILS (Instrument Landing System) was not accessible but as of today, I can tell you that not only have we installed a brand new ILS, we have also calibrated it.

    “We have a calibration certificate from a UK concern.

    “On the facilities for landing, like I said, the ILS which comprises the glide scope and localizer have been calibrated and they have been found satisfactory like 10 on 10.

    “Apart from that, we also have the approach light that actually complement and make sure that they have the ILS,’’ he said.

    The Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, announced the use of the Kaduna airport as alternative for the Abuja airport that would be closed for six weeks for repairs of its runway.

     

  • Minister of Aviation, Inspecting the expansion work at MMIA

    Minister of Aviation, Inspecting the expansion work at MMIA