By Dickson Omobola
Nationwide Affiliation of Air Visitors Controllers, NATCA, has raised concern over the restricted variety of air site visitors controllers within the nation, saying it threatens operational effectivity.
Deputy President of NATCA, Shettima Babagan, stated regardless of a manpower examine carried out in 2022, which revealed that Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, MMIA, in Lagos, required about 120 air site visitors controllers to handle the realm management, terminal space management, aerodrome management and floor management, not a lot has modified.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Babagan additionally lamented the expertise and the infrastructure hole, saying a few of their tools had been out of date.
He stated: “Again in 2022, a scientific examine on the ATC manpower for the Nigerian airspace was internally carried out, on the time, MMIA, the place you’ve 5 models wanted about 120 air site visitors controllers to successfully handle the airspace.
“On the time nevertheless, the quantity was within the area of 55. Meaning we had lower than half of what was required to successfully handle the airspace. That’s the actuality. Now, there may be loads of stress on manpower.
“Not even the manpower alone. There may be additionally a necessity for services to be supplied optimally to hold out features successfully. A few of the services are Air Visitors Administration, ATM, Communication, Navigation and Surveillance, CNS, Controller Pilot Knowledge Hyperlink Communication, CPDLC.
“Throughout the context of Nigeria, the Whole Radar Protection of Nigeria, TRACON system, which gives surveillance info for air site visitors management, got here into use round 2008 and have become efficient in 2013. However that was over a decade in the past, and expertise has moved on.”
In the meantime, President of NATCA, Mr Amos Edino, urged Federal Authorities to additionally take into account the renovation of management towers throughout the nation.
Edino stated: “There may be this contract for the Protected Tower Mission, and that has been pending. We would like authorities to look into that in order that they may repair the towers, simply as terminal buildings.”
On the growing older workforce and manpower scarcity, he stated: “The scarcity of air site visitors controllers just isn’t a Nigerian downside alone; it’s a world concern. However what issues is how every nation responds. We have now an growing older workforce, skilled controllers could be leaving within the subsequent 4, 5, six years.
“We might be having over 60, 70 very skilled controllers leaving, and that hole will certainly be there.”
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