The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has conducted a site acceptance test (SAT) of the safe tower project at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano preparatory to its commissioning.
The SAT, conducted using a test procedure book, ascertained conformity with environmental tolerance specifications.
NAMA Managing Director, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, used the occasion to declare open an awareness training on the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract/Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS-C/CPDLC) project, also to be commissioned soon.
He described the two projects as strategic in the effort to transform air traffic management services.
The benefits of a safe tower include use of electronic or paperless flight progress strips by air traffic controllers (ATCs); effective and efficient flight planning; reduction in the workload of ATCs; availability of radar monitoring system and meteorological information; and automated data storage.
Other benefits include extended range communication for effective air traffic management (ATM); reduced pilot workload; accuracy and efficiency in communication between ATC and flight crew; reduction in flight delays, flight times, fuel burnt, and C02 emissions.
They also include cost effective surveillance and data communication; elimination of air to ground communication blind spots; and effective coverage over the oceanic airspace.
George Eder, Managing Director of Avsatel Communications, the project contractors, expressed confidence that flight operations in Nigeria will be transformed with the “world class” equipment deployed by his company.
The safe tower project, which was conceived in 2006, will automate air traffic management at the airports in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Kano.
While others have been commissioned, that of Kano has suffered setbacks, leading to the building of a completely new tower.
The successful SAT, the last leg of activities culminating in the launch of the tower, is therefore one of the bold steps taken by NAMA to continue to deploy new technologies for air traffic management.