coverage from today as it migrates from
procedural air traffic control to aerial radar
control, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency,
NAMA, yesterday said.
Speaking during a briefing at the agency's
corporate head office, Murtala Muhammed
Airport, Lagos, Managing Director of NAMA, Mr.
Nnamdi Udoh, explained that the new aerial
control would have stations in Lagos and Kano,
stressing that Lagos would control the south
while Kano would serve the northern part of the
country.
According to Udoh, apart from the system
providing seamless transfer of pilots from one
radar control to another as aircraft flew from its
departure to destination, it would also provide
seamless communication between the controller
and the pilot from take-off to landing at the
destination.
"If you are taking off from Lagos, you don't have
to change your squak to Port Harcourt, Abuja or
Kano. The controller will transfer you seamlessly
to the next radar and maintain the same squak
to land.
"Squak is the code used by a pilot to
communicate with the air traffic controller. Prior
to this, we were having procedural aerial control
but now, we are going to use surveillance aerial
control."
With the development, Udoh said, "Lagos-Abuja
flight, which currently takes between 50 and 55
minutes, will be reduced to about 45 and 50
minutes.
"And the seamless radar control will save the
airlines fuel and money as well as reduce carbon
emission."
Udoh said the agency had trained enough
personnel who will be in charge of the
equipment, and signed a five-year maintenance
contract agreement with the manufacturers.
The agreement covers training of local personnel
that would take over after that period.
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