NAMA Enlists Stakeholders’ Buy-In on Aeronautical Automation

L-R: Dir. of Transport, NCAA, Capt. A M Sidi, DG, NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom, Ag. NAMA MD, Engr. Emma Anasi and Military Airport Commandant, MMIA, Wing. Cmdr Imoke Emeng Imoke at the AIS Automation forum at NAMA headqurters in Lagos recently. 

Ahead of the December 2016 expected completion of Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation in 11 locations, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has solicited the co-operation of data originators and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth takeoff of the project and also enhance its sustainability. Speaking at the AIS Automation stakeholders’ forum which held at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, the Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Emma Anasi noted that all the key agencies or data originators including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Air Force, and so on would need to enhance their data collation, origination, processing, storage and exchange system to meet the requirement for data integrity, accuracy and availability under the AIS Automation stressing that on completion, the facility would link Nigeria to a centralized aeronautical database which will be connected to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) AFI Region Centralized Aeronautical Information Data Base (AFI-CAT).

Anasi affirmed that on completion of the project by December 2017, the 26 VSAT facilities located at various airports nationwide under the AIS Automation project would provide a structure for the exchange and management of flight, operational, aerodrome, safety, meteorological, financial as well as administrative information adding that “ this network of information flow from service providers or data originators to airlines or airspace users would create the required environment for Airport Collaborative Decision Making.”

According to the NAMA chief executive, other deliverables would include the enhancement of e-NOTAM, e-Flight Planning, e-AIP, e-TOD, e-Charts, e-Flight briefing and also boost capacity for voice and data communication for both air to ground and ground to ground communication.

Earlier in his remarks, the Director General of NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom called for regular meetings of stakeholders to monitor the progress of the automation project stating that such interaction would fast-track the process and ensure sustainability over time. Present at the forum were representatives of the Military Air Command, NCAA, FAAN, and NIMET.