The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has renewed its attention to the two-decades-old project for the automation of the Aeronautic Information Service, AIS so that its service discharge will be at par with what obtained in the advanced nations of the world.
NAMA management who made this known said the project had been abandoned by successive administration while the advent of President Muhammadu Buhari had witnessed appreciable improvement in the pace of work.
A statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Khalid Emele, said some of the equipment vital to the project had arrived waiting to be cleared for the project to henceforth experience accelerated execution.
Emele disclosed that the installation of VSAT nodes necessary for the transmission of data to remote locations is currently ongoing with 8 important nodes already running.
He said the joint pilot briefing offices where the AIS Automation will operate from are simultaneously being installed with 8 offices fully completed.
The statement noted that in accordance with management decision for the project to be executed with dispatch, the contractor was mandated to air freight materials from Apapa port to both Kano and Kaduna to effect immediate installation of VSAT equipment.
It noted that “Kano VSAT is already up and running while that of Kaduna has been cleared to NAMA stores for immediate installation. The Aeronautical Message Handling System (AMHS) and AIS database have been manufactured and are ready for shipment”
Khalid Emele opined that “the point must also be made that management has vigorously pursued the training and retraining of different categories of AIS staff preparatory to the takeoff of automation. While several batches of personnel have undergone factory training at different times, other AIS staff have equally been trained at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT) Zaria to ensure they are at par with their colleagues worldwide.
However, with the current level of support from President Mohammadu Buhari and Sen Hadi Sirika as well as the avowed commitment of NAMA management, we are delighted to note that the AIS Automation project will soon be completed to the delight of all”, the statement said.Share