Nosa Aituamen
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has enhanced the operational capacity of its flight calibration unit with the introduction of two newly type-rated pilots.
These pilots, who recently completed their training in Dubai on the King Air 350i aircraft, were presented to the Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Umar Farouk in Abuja, marking a crucial step in the agency’s drive to independently manage its flight calibration services.
The General Manager of Flight Calibration Services, NAMA, Mr. Selzing Miri, while presenting the pilots to the NAMA boss, emphasized the critical need for the agency to have its own cadre of pilots to operate its calibration aircraft.
He highlighted the proactive support of the NAMA Managing Director, Mr. Farouk, in prioritizing the development of this unit and ensuring the comprehensive training of the young pilots to become fully qualified calibration experts.
The initiative to build indigenous capacity in flight calibration commenced in 2019 under the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
According to him, this strategic move followed NAMA’s takeover of the calibration aircraft from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority NCAA and reiterated the agency’s commitment to maintaining the accuracy and reliability of the nation’s navigational facilities.
Mr. Miri, who also serves as the President of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers, NAAE, affirmed that the development of the flight calibration unit is an ongoing process with the ultimate goal of establishing a fully functional service capable of extending its expertise to neighboring countries and beyond.
He further noted that the unit comprises not only pilots but also aircraft engineers and flight inspectors, with the training of flight inspectors currently in an advanced stage, nearing final assessment by international partners.
With the imminent completion of the flight calibration crew’s training and assessment, Mr. Miri said, Nigeria is steadily progressing towards self-sufficiency in this specialized aviation service.