ChineduEze
As the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded plans to complete Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) Automation project by December, the agency has solicited the cooperation of data originators and other stakeholders to commit themselves to the project to ensure its smooth takeoff.
The objective of the Aeronautical Information Service is to ensure the flow of information necessary for the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation. When completed, it will enhance air to ground and ground to ground information and boost interconnectivity between aircraft and air traffic controllers.
The AIS is installed in 11 locations and is planned to go on stream at the end of the year but would connect every part of the country by the end of 2017.
Speaking at the AIS Automation stakeholders’ forum, which held at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, the acting Managing Director of NAMA, 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, etc would need to enhance their data collation, origination, processing, storage and exchange system.
This is to meet the requirement for data integrity, accuracy and availability under the AIS Automation. Anasi stressed that on completion, the facility would link Nigeria to a centralised aeronautical database which will be connected to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) AFI Region Centralised Aeronautical Information Data Base (AFI-CAT).
He 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.
Anasi explained: “This network of information flow from service providers or data originators to airlines or airspace users and creates the required environment for Airport Collaborative Decision Making.”
Other deliverables, according to the NAMA boss 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.
