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Tag: NATCA

  • NATCA worries over air navigation infrastructure

    NATCA worries over air navigation infrastructure

    The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, address the deplorable state of Air Traffic Management/Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (ATM/CNS) infrastructure in the country

    According to the NATCA , the infrastructure is  near collapse and invariably  seemingly non – existent.

    In a communique signed by NATCA President and Secretary Messrs Amos Edino and Fahad Muhammed Umar respectively, at the 53rd Annual General Meeting held in Kano, the association urged the government to safeguard ATC resources and staffing decisions – recruitment, training, and retraining – from political interference/pressures.

    It wants the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT),  and the Air Navigational Service Providers  to synergise/synchronise the design and tailor ATC training needs to enhance capacity, specialisation, quality, and training frequency.

    NATCA called for the Air Traffic Control training to be modernised to include reality factors  such as simulations so as to enhance knowledge, test new methods, develop skills, and boost learning and confidence.

    It posited that the welfare of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers in terms of remuneration – emoluments –  and benefits remained amongst the lowest  if not the poorest in the region and the world in general requiring  immediate review.

    The communique notes  that Air Traffic Control is considered amongst the most complex and highly demanding professions on the planet because of its multitasking nature and so involves stress and/or revolves around stress.

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    It  recommends that Aviation being a critical sector  – ATC in particular-  and considering the nexus and direct correlation between funding and safety, the Federal Government should as a matter of utmost necessity, take steps to close the gap in the dearth of critical infrastructure such as Communication, Navigation, and surveillance.

    Others include funding the procurement, installation, maintenance, and upgrade of a modern RADAR system, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in line with international best practice for seamless transition to Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) in the provision of Air Traffic Services which are necessary for Safety and Efficiency of Air Navigation.

    It recommends that the Federal Government exempts  the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency  from the 50 per cent statutory deductions of revenue from source to zero as this bears negatively on the Agency, hindering critical decision making;  eroding financial strength to develop and provide CNS infrastructure and train manpower.

    It reads:” The Federal Government must ensure that the ANSP is shielded from political interference and pressure, especially in areas of funding, resource management, recruitment, training and retraining of staff for greater efficiency, productivity, and effective cost recovery.

    It also resolves to allow the immediate implementation of the reviewed fees, fines, and charges for services provided by NAMA.

    It further called on the Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Management of NAMA to  take as a matter of greatest importance the review of salaries/emoluments of ATCOs  – in the face of current economic realities-  to Meet international best practice.

    NATCA said it will partner with the Management of NCAT and NAMA to synergise, strategize, and synchronize training in tune with modern trends in innovation, technology, and training to further improve capacity, specialisation, professionalism, quality, and training frequency.

    The Association said it will liaise with the Management of NAMA to achieve speedy resolutions of the grey areas concerning the ATC scheme of service and fast-track its release.

  • NATCA to Fed Govt: fix Lagos Airport’s lighting, taxiway

    THE  Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has called on the Federal Government to fix the Runway 18L/36R lighting and the abandoned taxiway B at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    The association stated this at its 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference in Lagos, saying the government should prioritise the matter to reduce pilots and controllers’ workload.

    In a communique issued at the weekend  by its former President and General Secretary, Victor Eyaru and Banji Olawode, the association urged the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to complete the construction of the abandoned new control tower at the Kaduna Airport razed by fire four years ago.

    The communique reads: ”NATCA enjoins all stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry to develop a framework for stronger collaboration to achieve zero accident.

    “The Federal Ministry of Transportation should, as a matter of urgency, see to the completion of the construction of the abandoned new control tower at the Kaduna Airport to replace the old one that got burnt on  April 20, 2014 in the interest of air safety.

    “The association wishes to appeal to the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to intervene on the fixing of the Runway 18L/36R lighting and the abandoned Taxiway B at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos to reduce work load of the pilots and controllers.

    “The association also encourages the Federal Government to come to the aid of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to speed up the ongoing upgrade of the Controller-Pilot and Controller-Controller communication facilities as well as surveillance equipment to meet with the required standards for sustenance of air safety.”

  • NATCA to govt: employ more air traffic controllers

    NATCA to govt: employ more air traffic controllers

    The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers  Association ( NATCA) has urged the government to close the gap of inadequate personnel to enhance air safety.

    In an interview with The Nation, its National President, Comrade Victor Eyaru, said besides recruiting more air traffic controllers, he said there was need for the government to send personnel for training abroad, adding that the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State does not have the capacity to offer modern training in new air traffic management technology.

    Eyaru said: “To say the least, more air traffic controllers should be recruited urgently and trained to reduce the gaps already created in the interest of air safety.”

    He called on the government to fix this taxiway to prevent aircraft accidents on ground and to increase the capacity of the airport.

    He lamented that none of the radar facilities in the country’s airspace has  backup.

    According to Eyaru:  ”In time of any failures or major maintenance work will leave air traffic controllers to revert to the less efficient procedural (non-radar) system of control which invariably increases traffic delay and losses to airline operators.Other component of the radar equipment such as Mode S has not been activated, which is meant to enhance levels of air safety.

    “The association and its members will be grateful if redundancies could be procured for the radar equipment by the Federal Government as it is the global best practice. Efforts should also be geared towards activating other important components of the Radar equipment and timely completion of the ongoing AIS Automation and CPDLC projects.

    “The government should not also lose sight of replacing the present Radar equipment with more modern ones before attaining its expiration,” he added.

    He said about 300 controllers with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are barely 50 per cent of the number required to optimally man the airspace.

    He claimed that many of these   vital training are not available at NCAT.

    To sustain and improve on the level of air safety, the association appealed to the Federal Government to assist in facilitating trainings in areas, such as radar control, Performance Based Navigation (PBN), aeronautic search and rescue, procedure and airspace design, Safety Management Systems (SMS) and many others that are either aborted midway or have gone moribund for years.

  • 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 showdown over poor navigation equipment

    Members of Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association ( NATCA), have threatened to embark on an industrial action next week over the failure by the management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) to implement the agreement reached on the Welfare of its members, as well as the failure of the agency to replace ageing air navigation equipment.

    A statement signed by the National Secretary of NATCA, Olawole Banji, said members  will down tools effective March 15, 2015.

    Banji said NATCA will not shift ground on its  resolve to proceed on strike, adding that it has given the NAMA management two weeks to allow for the conclusion of approved process of the proposed harmonised allowances for its members agreed on since January 18, 2015.

    NATCA stressed that it will  embark on the strike following the inability of NAMA management to implement all the agreements reached, saying the Controllers are agitating for improved working conditions, especially the replacement of obsolete equipment at various locations across the country, as well as their welfare enhancement.

    Meanwhile , the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS ), the body charged with the responsibility of generating information to pilots and the public, has also threatened to confront the management of NAMA for playing politics with professional issues in the organisation .

    AIS President , Babatunde Shittu,  said  the management has relegated its members to the background, and make it look as if only NATCA is the professional body in NAMA that is always agitating for improved welfare  without considering other bodies.

    He warned that they will soon kick start their agitation should government fail to carry  them along.

    It said the report of the Harmonisation  Committee clearly demonstrated that Aeronautical Information Services  is not recognised in Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) as a professional body, stating that the   Aeronautical Information Services   is seemingly neglected to the extent that it is hardly carried along in decision making process that directly or indirectly affects it members.

    “We are now appealing to   NAMA Management, to go the extra mile to give AIS smooth landing by meeting the standard set by ICAO.”

    Shittu  called on NAMA to as a matter of urgency train the remaining 122 Aeronautical Information  Officers  in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO requirement to enable them perform their duty optimally.

    He explained that transformation from Aeronautical Information Service to Aeronautical Information Management is imminent , the reason he said has made their training a necessity .

    He lamented the dearth in AIS personnel and the need to address the issue of their professional allowanced and that of the airmen.