The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) on Thursday urged the federal government to improve the navigational and landing facilities at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
NATCA President, Mr Abayomi Agoro, in a news release identified the degraded state of the facilities as the major problem forcing foreign flights diversion to neighboring countries .
Agoro lamented that the British Airways and Air France flights were recently diverted to Accra, Ghana, and Cotonou, Benin Republic, respectively from the Airport because of poor visibility as a result of harmattan haze.
Harmattan season in Nigeria between November and March is usually characterised by the prevalence of dry and dusty wind bearing particules emanating from the Sahara desert blowing southward into the country
Harmattan haze usually brings flight operations to a halt and usually cost airlines millions of dollars in cancelled and diverted flights each year and denies the country huge revenue.
Agoro observed that lack of calibration at the Airport due to obsolete facilities was causing a lot of losses.
He, however, stated that the members were worried about the safety of flights into and out of Lagos Airport, adding that the poor state of the landing facilities had made their members’ work more difficult.
“We are equally concerned about the untold hardship the situation has visited on our members working in Lagos Terminal Approach position whose statutory responsibility is to ensure a round-the-clock safety in taking off and landing.
“In as much as we sincerely appreciate government’s huge investment in the upgrade of aviation infrastructure in the sector NATCA is nevertheless concerned about the perennial state of degradation of essential facilities and working tools.
“This is coupled with attendant increased stress and workload which in practical terms translate to serious safety implications for the flying public,” he said.
Agoro, therefore, urged the relevant authorities to take immediate steps to restore the full serviceability of the navigational facilities and landing aids.
He said the all the relevant agencies saddled with the responsibility of managing the nation’s airspace should put things in proper perspective to ensure seamless safety regime and prompt navigational services.
Agoro, however, reaffirmed commitment of NATCA and assured the flying public of its competence and preparedness to work with airlines and aviation stakeholders to ensure safety in the nation’s airspace.
