NAMA sets to Publish Visual Flight Rule Charts

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, says, it is working on developing and publishing Visual Flight Rule, VFR, charts locally.

The Acting Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok said, the agency had been collaborating with the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, OSGOF, in the past two years to obtain the required and suitable data that would form the foundation or bedrock of the chart.

Mr. Pwajok who disclosed this at the 2022 World Aeronautical Information Service, AIS Day in Abuja said, NAMA experts have been able to produce some basic VFR charts proto-type covering a limited geographical area of Lagos which is being used as a benchmark to guide further expansion into the entire country in phases.

In order to strengthen the technical capacity and expertise, he said, a team of four Airspace planners, as well as a team of six cartographers, would be travelling overseas for more training in VFR Chart production.

“The Management has also approved a training Course in Cairo for the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the development and production of VFR charts which is an Agency and national priority.
We are aware of other areas that training is urgently needed and required and steps are being taken by the management to address those that have not been covered so far”.

According to him, the additional knowledge would not only provide the VFR capability but would enable NAMA delve into the development of World Aeronautical charts and Visual charts.

“Some of the elements already completed in the transition include, ICAO flight plan, Digitalised AIP, Digitalised charts, Conduct of WGS84 surveys among others”.

He remarked that an implementation team would be inaugurated with members drawn from the Aeronautical Information Management, AIM, experts that abound in NAMA for the implementation of the AIM.

Nosa Aituamen