The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA is bolstering
its airspace management functions as it is ready to deploy Controller to Pilot
Data Link Communication (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract
(ADS-C) to improve aircraft communication throughout Nigerian airspace. According to an on-line statement from SITA, “The
Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has selected SITA OnAir to enhance
aircraft communications across Nigeria. SITA OnAir’s advanced systems will
enable NAMA to comply with the recommendations of ICAO’s regional Air
Navigation Plan and in doing so increase safety and efficiency in Nigerian
airspace.
In this multi-year deal, SITA OnAir is supplying
Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) solutions and services at the Lagos and Kano
Control Centers to enhance long range data communication between air traffic
controllers (ATC) and pilots.”
In his response towards the agreement, Ibrahim
Abdulsalam, Managing Director, NAMA, said: “SITA OnAir is already well-known
for its superior VHF datalink coverage on the African continent and with its
highly reliable services SITA OnAir is the ideal partner for NAMA. The new CPDLC systems at our air traffic
control centers in Lagos and Kano will move voice traffic off congested
frequencies and allow for accurate data exchange between the controllers and
pilots.”
With this new ADS-C capability, the agency will receive
automatic position reports from aircraft to its air traffic services. This will
enable NAMA to acquire surveillance information from aircraft flying outside of
radar coverage.
Philip Clinch, Vice President, AIRCOM, SITA OnAir, said:
“NAMA is making significant changes that will ensure increased safety while
boosting Nigeria’s airspace capacity. Besides the new FANS capability, NAMA
will also benefit from SITA OnAir’s connectivity and technical support.”
Future Air Navigation System (FANS) is the protocol which
airlines follow to manage increasing levels of air traffic. With it, an air
traffic control center (ATC) can track aircraft along their full route. When an
ATC has accurate position data, and knows exactly where an aircraft is, it can
reduce distances between aircraft and safely allow more in the airspace.
The use of CPDLC will improve ATC communications in
Nigerian airspace. NAMA handles an average of 550 flights daily across the
nation’s airports and airlines could see improvement in communication and
surveillance efficiency almost immediately.
Use of air-to-ground data link has been endorsed by ICAO
as a key enabler in its vision of a performance-based Global Air Traffic
Management system.
According to SITA, the benefits of CPDLC is much. Supplementing traditional voice
communications with direct data links between aircraft and Air Traffic Control,
CPDLC allows controllers to handle more aircraft and manage them more safely.
Improved efficiency:
It Conserves scarce radio frequency resources .
Improved safety: It has no interpretation problems caused
by poor voice quality or regional accents.
Messages are sent
directly between ATC and the aircraft concerned
Improved performance: Trials show very positive feedback
from pilots and controllers, expected 11% capacity gain across the Link
Airspace and expected 29% reduction in controller workload
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