Who is suffering more? Airlines, ATC or the passengers?
Despite the Category 3 Instrument Landing System, ILS, installed recently by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to aid seamless landing at the Lagos airport during this harmattan period airlines are finding it difficult to land their aircraft due to poor visibility.
British Airways was reported to have diverted its flight twice Monday and Tuesday evenings to Accra, Ghana because the weather minima was below their standard, while the visibility at the Lagos airport was 1,200m, they said their airline minima was 1,700m.
The Category 3 ILS which was described as a welcome development by stakeholders after over 10 years of call on government to do the needful is installed but not in use due to the absence of runway and approach lights.
The new ILS according to concerned stakeholders cannot work in isolation of the lights which were supposed to have been upgraded by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
Though the test run of the ILS category 3 had been done it is yet to be calibrated.
Due to this development, some foreign carriers are forced to land in neigbouring countries due to poor visibility which is gathered fluctuates to an acceptable and below minima.
It was also learnt that some foreign airlines have started using the CAT 3 on their own without clearance from the air traffic controllers but NAMA has not encouraged any airline to make use of it until after the calibration of the facility.
Investigation revealed that both FAAN and NAMA are not working together on this all important safety issue.
According to a source, while NAMA is alleging that FAAN was not interested or seem to be oblivious of the CAT 3 ILS installation, FAAN on its part say NAMA did not carry them along on their plans for the installation of the equipment.
Our investigation also revealed that though NAMA had been clamoring for the CAT 3 ILS installation for years now, it is alleged that the go ahead for the installation came suddenly from above and thrown on them to do the needful.
Because of this alleged sudden work, there was little or no time to inform other concerned stakeholders like FAAN and the airlines to be prepared for the new package.
Currently, some of the airlines are not even aware of the CAT 3 ILS to start training their pilots on how to key in and use the facility.
With the new facility, airlines will have to spend money in training their pilots on how to use it, a development some airlines are not ready for right now.
The source further revealed that the installation of the facility ought to have been a joint work between NCAA, NAMA and FAAN to enable them make input.
While the blame game continue, NAMA has concluded plans to calibrate the CAT 3 ILS next week and expects FAAN to do the needful by upgrading its runway and approach lights from CAT 2 to CAT 3.
The issue here is, the Hamattan is biting hard on the industry and the Lagos Airport main Runway 18R has no serviceable aids.
The VOR has been withdrawn for DVOR to be installed, the ILS Cat 3 newly installed is not calibrated and left on test basis, the bigger jets can only operates Performance Based Navigation, PBN for landing on the international airport Runway 18R which required visibility of 1800m.
Once the required visibility goes below minimal they can’t utilize the R18L which does not have capacity to accommodate these aircraft.
The question is what is the status of our newly acquired B350 calibration aircraft?
Secondly, why did NAMA withdrawn the VOR and ILS same time when the hamattan was fast approaching?
Now the airtraffic controllers are left vulnerable and stressed out rendering the services.
Without micing words, the concerned authorities seem not to be listening or perhaps those affected by these problems are not complaining or shouting enough for them to hear, or maybe someone is crying more than the bereaved.
Meanwhile, an anonymous stakeholder has called on FAAN to return the runway and approach lights switch back to the control tower to enable them provide actual intensity for pilots as CAT 3 ought to be seamless for aircraft during inclement weather.
The stakeholder also urged FAAN to address the problem on the central taxiway of the airport which has been closed for almost twenty years now and to ensure that the Compass wing where aircraft carry out their engine run and checks was put in order and opened for use.
On the domestic airport runway in Lagos, for over 6 years now, the runway 18L is yet to have an efficient runway lights since 2012 after the Dana airline plane crash.
A stakeholder asked,”where are the Periodic Maintenance Programs for these infrastructure especially for the airports we have given Certification”?
