The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has assured the public that Nigerian airspace is secure and safe for flight operations, bolstered by the Total Radar Coverage Of Nigeria (TRACON) system.
Acting Director General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, gave the assurance in response to recent concerns about the alleged lack of radar coverage.
He clarified that recent violations of prohibited flight zones in Abuja investigated were caused by adverse weather and involved controlled flights in controlled airspace.
Captain Najomo emphasized that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had complete radar footage and detailed information on the aircraft involved, thanks to functional Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radars in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, and Port-Harcourt.
“NCAA can also confirm that NAMA had complete radar footages of the two violations with full details of the identities of the aircraft and operators involved”.
He further announced that Nigeria’s radar coverage will be enhanced with five new Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) stations at Obubbra, Ilorin, Talata Mafara, Maiduguri, and Numan, supplementing the existing radar centers to achieve total coverage of the country.
“For purposes of clarity, the Primary Surveillance Radar alone only identifies aircraft as moving targets without aircraft identity. The Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR), on the other hand, which forms a major component of the TRACON, is the equipment that allows for identification of any aircraft equipped with ATC Mode ‘S’ transponder”.
Captain Najomo highlighted the mandatory requirement for all aircraft in controlled airspace to have serviceable ATC transponders, in line with international standards and Nigerian regulations, adding that, any aircraft turning off this system in controlled airspace is committing a regulatory and security violation, subject to sanctions.
“This, therefore, makes it a violation of the regulations, and indeed a security breach, for any aircraft to put this system off while flying in controlled airspace, and such action would attract appropriate sanctions in accordance with NCAA’s enforcement procedures, including possible criminal referral”.
He also noted that NAMA, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, is continuously upgrading the Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure to keep up with technological advancements.
The NCAA assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure safe and secure air navigation in Nigeria’s airspace.
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