NAMA implements PBN at 15 airports to reduce cost of flight for airlines

Efforts by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to implement Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in the country have received a major boost with the publication of PBN Area Navigation (RNAV) Approaches for 15 Nigerian airports as well as the publication of Standard Arrival Routes (STARs) and Standard Instrument Departure Routes (SIDs) for Benin Airport by the agency.

The said publication enables duly equipped aircraft with necessary approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to fly PBN procedures into the airports without the use of ground navigational aids.

The airports that have received such include Benin, Calabar, Enugu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Owerri, Jos and Kaduna. Others are Maiduguri, Katsina, Minna, Sokoto, Zaria, Gombe, and Bauchi.

Speaking on this development, Ibrahim Abdulsalam, managing director of NAMA, noted that the implementation of PBN in Nigeria became inevitable as it was in line with global migration from ground-based navigation to satellite-based navigation.

NAMA is leaving no stone unturned in meeting the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) requirement for states to ensure full implementation of the PBN at both local and international airports by 2016, he said.

Abdulsalam also said that “because of the increased level of accuracy, reliability, continuity, integrity of information, overall enhanced safety and attendant benefits to airlines and the travelling public, it has become imperative for Nigerian operators to key into PBN’ adding that ‘with direct routing and reduced flight times, PBN would enhance efficiency and reduce cost to the airlines.”

It would be recalled that NAMA in 2012, published PBN Area Navigation (RNAV) Approaches, Standard Instrument Departure Routes (SIDs) and Standard Arrival Routes (STARs) for the four major airports including Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano, making them PBN compliant.

Meanwhile, arrangements are in top gear by NAMA to integrate Uyo, Asaba, Yola, Kebbi, Dutse, Akure, Bebi and Osubi airports into the PBN network in the country.

Last week, the Agency sent 15 air traffic controllers to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) for training in a combined Terminal Approach Surveillance Radar/Area Airways Surveillance Radar course.

Before now, the college took the two courses separately while air traffic controllers were trained abroad at heavy cost for the combined course.