Captain Fola Akinkuotu the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has restated the need for training and retraining in the aviation industry.
Speaking at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent, LAAC , Gateway Forum in Lagos over the weekend, Capt Akinkuotu explained that as a pilot and a trainer, the idea of people being trained and retained are essential.
“In NAMA, I couldn’t help but focus on training in one year, I have heard that my people are happy that they are receiving more training than they have had in five years.
I am truly happy about it and it is not my money, it is the money that they have generated and it should be used to educate them so that they can do their job better,” NAMA boss explained.
He assured that by the middle of April, there would be significant improvement with the communication system when the contractors would have installed the new equipment .
NAMA boss pointed out that with the new equipment, there would be clarity of communication between Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots.
According to him: “In the field of equipment, as a pilot, I know I had issues sometimes on the Southeast and Northwest corridors, we have challenges of radios.
So it became a task for me that must be done, we have put radios in several places but we are not there yet. I like to believe that by the end of April we should see some significant improvements”.
Akinkuotu stated further that NAMA is going to sectorise Lagos so that the job of the Air Traffic Controllers will become easier.
Some people will talk to Lagos East and some people will talk to Lagos West with new improvements that will improve clarity of communications. This is a one step and not a totality that is required but at least a step in the right direction in the issue of communication, he said.
Akinkuotu noted that for NAMA to provide better service, the airlines should pay for the services rendered to them which informed why it introduced the pay as you go system.
He said the agency still apply the pay as you go system when necessary.
The Pay as you go system is a little easy for us but It becomes a big problem to the operator and that is why we cannot use it on a day to day basis, the MD said.
He maintained that: “The Kano ILS has been calibrated, Lagos is getting a new ILS , we have commenced the civil work and installation has commenced. We have gone to Maiduguri and we have broken ground there. We have also started the civil work, the airport will get a brand new ILS and a DBR.
In the one year also, installing the equipment and not finding out whether the navigation are good or not, is not a good work.
In surveillance, we have engaged the manufacturers of our surveillance equipment in trying to renew the upgrade agreements and maintenance agreements that have expired in 2014.
“We are making efforts and we are getting to maintain the system and government has also approved the installation of Multi-lateration equipment in the Southeast corridor such that it will be able to capture low flying objects and be able to provide guidance.
All for all, we have been able to hit the three areas that were required by NAMA.
However, I don’t believe that any system can be perfect but we will continue to look at these three areas and improve on them”.
Picture Caption
Chairman League of Airport and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC), Mr. Segun Koiki; Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu; General Manager Public Affair, NAMA, Mr. Khalid Emele and Head Media and Publicity Unit Public Affair, NAMA, Mr. Stephen Onabe, during the Gateway Forum 0n the Activities of NAMA at Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos over the weekend
