Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports.
THE Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association, NATCA, yesterday chastised the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, for closing runway 18L at Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, in Lagos without informing it.
This comes after the association’s President, Mr. Yomi Agoro, revealed that air traffic controllers across the country are woefully understaffed to manage the country’s existing airports.
Last week, Tracknews reported that FAAN had closed the runway for the installation of airfield ground lighting.
However, in an interview with journalists, Agoro described FAAN’s closure without informing NATCA as “unfortunate” and promised to meet with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and FAAN to devise the best management measures to deal with the development.
“What FAAN and NAMA Managements are doing is so unfortunate,” he says. We will be the ones who feel the heat when the runway closes; we will be at the center of everything. I can confirm that the association has not been notified in writing. Nobody is aware of it, but we will make an effort to contact FAAN and our management.
“This would add to the stress for those working in Lagos because taxing and maneuvering aircraft from runway 18R at the international airport to the two terminals at the local airport, GAT and MM2, would take time for the controllers.”
“Taxing to all those different apron will not be easy, and you know that the center taxiway is where you have to juggle the aircraft, including the new terminal apron, so we are in the hot seat.” They have stated, however, that when decisions are made, the Association is treated as if it did not exist. I spoke with several air traffic controllers; there was no meeting, no orientation, and no training; all they did was issue a NOTAM.
“Once that runway is closed, everyone can use the 18R.” The majority of the control would be done at the tower, and ground movement would be a little cumbersome and would cause a little delay, which is why I am appealing to pilots to try to be patient with our people and cooperate with controllers as much as possible because it will be for a while.
