Over 500 flights pass through Nigerian airspace daily - NAMA.

Sky Watch Nigeria.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh, on Monday said that over 500 flights passed through the nation’s airspace daily.

Nnamdi, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, however, said that the figure did not include overflying flights, which do not land in Nigerian airports.

According to him, air traffic has increased astronomically in recent years, adding that the situation has forced the agency to embark on critical projects to boost the capacity of its navigational facilities.

He said the development also informed why the agency recently started the process of decongesting the Lagos Area Control Centre of the airspace.

He said, “With growing traffic, especially at peak period, the main Lagos Aerial Control Centre frequency, 127.3MHz, had become congested with attendant challenges posed to pilots. The agency in her typical manner commenced the process of categorising the Lagos ACC. And based on the project timeline of December 17, 2012, the Lagos ACC would have been categorising.”

He added, “I want to use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that our airspace is safe. To address some of the challenges we had in the past, the agency embarked on many critical projects to reposition and strength the navigational facilities in the airspace.”

Udoh explained that a team of air traffic controllers and engineers was already working on the technical and operational implementation of the categorisation.

The Director of Operations, Mr. Mukaila Solola, said NAMA had taken major steps to address radio communication challenges facing the airspace, adding that currently, only Nigeria could boast of having the Performance Based Navigation system in Africa.

PBN is a shift from ground based-navigation to satellite-based.

Diversify developments in the aviation sector - MMIA Commandant.

Sky Watch Nigeria.

Former commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu(rtd) has called on the government to consider safety and security infrastructures in the aviation sector.

While reviewing the estimated revenue generated by foriegn and domestic airlines which has been put at around $25 billion or over N3.5trillion annually, Ojikutu calls for the setting in place of an organized system of accountability stating that: "Airport remodelling, national carrier or government financial intervention cannot individually or collectively grow the industry"

Ojikutu who is also currently an aviation security expert spoke on the needs of the aviation industry to diversify some of its development activities. While speaking on the subject he said: “Allow private investors in the industry, give concessions or free taxes on charges on airlines on landing and parking, navigational charges and others, reduce multiple landing for foreign airlines to our international airports to create markets for domestic airlines. If government does these, the industry will grow."

These revenues which come from passenger tickets, cargo frieghts, cargo operations, and payment for charter services have been brought to light in the recent decision of the government to assist the domestic airlines acquire new aircraft for their operations. Which has led several aviation analysts calling for reforms at different levels.