Extreme weather hinders international flights’ safe landing at MMIA – NAMA

The Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) says recent inclement weather is hindering the safe landing of some international flights at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Mr Khalid Emele, the General Manager, Public Affairs of NAMA, said on Wednesday in Lagos that flight diversion could also be accompanied by the minimas of affected airlines.

Emele said the agency’s position was that such diversions were in the interest of safety.

He said the facts on record were as follows: Lagos had two runways, which was 18 Right and 18 Left.

“The Doppler Very High Omni-Directional Radio Range (DVOR) and the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) at the airport have successfully been calibrated and passed 100 per cent.

“The localiser is a component of the Instrument Landing System responsible for horizontal guidance at runway 18 Left has also passed 100 per cent calibration.

“While the glide slope which is another component of the Instrument Landing System that provides vertical guidance is undergoing routine maintenance,” Emele said.

He said the maintenance would be concluded and the equipment would be fully on air on Feb. 12.

Emele said that on Runway 18 Right, there was Category III ILS, which was still undergoing installation.

According to him, presently, Selex Systems, the contractors are working on the realignment of its parameters, preparatory to the calibration and commissioning of the equipment in the shortest possible time.

Emele reassured airspace users and the general public that the Nigerian airspace remained safe for seamless and economic air travel, regretting any inconveniences caused.