NACAN: 5 Airports Lack Air Traffic Communication Equipment

The National Airtraffic Communicators Association of Nigeria (NACAN) has pointed out that some airports involved in Hajj operations across the country lack air traffic communication equipment.

The president of NACAN, George Nkambo while speaking at the 25th anniversary of the association in Abuja, said there is a massive shortage of air traffic communications personnel in the nation’s aviation sector.

According to him, the five airports that are yet to be covered by air traffic communicators’ operations yet involved in Hajj’s operations are Jalingo, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Kebbi and Jigawa.

He identified a shortage of manpower in the department and urged the management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to see the shortage as a peculiar one.

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He said: “The management of NAMA should look at the shortage of air traffic communicators as a peculiar case as we needed additional 300 personnel to join the 176 on ground to cover all the airports across the country effectively.”

However, air traffic communication in the nation’s aviation sector is set for upgrade as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is set to deploy the Air Traffic Service (ATS) Message Handling System (AMHS).

The MD of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkoutu, said the system will commence full operations in the next two weeks.

According to him, with the new system there will be no limitation of messages to be transmitted at a high speed and adequate feedback.