FG Deploys Multi-layered Communication Infrastructure to Close Blind Spots in Airspace

Chinedu Eze

To avoid incidences that could lead to plane crash, the federal government has approved funds to agencies for the deployment of multi-layered communication infrastructure to close blind spots in airspace.

For several years, pilots have complained of blind spots in Nigeria’s airspace, which refers to parts of the airspace where the pilot loses communication with air traffic control, a trend industry operators have described as threat to safety.

Pilots who spoke to THISDAY said they had always used experience and air-to-air communication with other pilots operating flights to ‘guess’ their way to their destination.

Few years ago, pilots and other aviators who experienced poor communication in the airspace, had never failed to register such complaints at every aviation forum, a situation that must have prompted the federal government to approve and fund projects that have restored effective communication to most of the airspace in Nigeria.

THISDAY spoke to the acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Laurence Pwajok, who gave details of what the agency has done to improve communication in the airspace.

Pwajok admitted that there were blind spots in Nigeria’s airspace, but insisted that such experience belonged to the past because NAMA has deployed equipment to close those gaps and some of the projects are still on-going to modernise the communication system in the airspace by upgrading existing equipment and deploying new ones, which are more sophisticated and technology driven.

One of the major causes of communication gaps in the airspace, THISDAY learnt, was lack of equipment expansion on the part of NAMA. When the airspace was expanding with more aircraft traffic, NAMA was not expanding its equipment to be in tandem with the airspace expansion.

NAMA, some years ago, deployed eight satellite stations located at different parts of the country, but as the airspace expanded, communication was degenerating because the eight stations could not provide adequate coverage of the now busier airspace.

“We just finished what we call Extended Range Voice Communications project. The initial structure was eight satellite stations. The main cause of those blind spots was that when the airspace expanded the satellite stations could not cover the airspace. The eight satellite stations were located in Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Jos, Abuja and Wukari.  Now, we added six more satellite stations located in Jos (to boost the existing one), Kaduna, Benin, Calabar and Ilorin. With these additional stations, the airspace has become fully covered,” Pwajok said.

He explained that each satellite station has a circumference, which it covers, and those gaps that hitherto existed has been covered but to ensure that that communication has improved, NAMA deployed personnel to monitor the communication system and also receiving feedback from pilots, the old complaint of blind spot was not received again from the feedback reports.

In addition to the deployment of the satellite stations, NAMA installed the Controller-Pilot-Data-Link-Communication (CPDLC) in Kano and Lagos area control centres, which provide data instead of voice communication.

So the Nigerian airspace is also covered by Controller-Pilot-Data-Link- Communication infrastructure.

Nigeria’s airspace is known as Kano Flight Information Region, which is made up of Kano and Lagos control centres. While Kano control centre provides services to the northern part of the country, Lagos provides services to the southern part of the country and the two come together to be known as Kano FIR, Pwajok said. 

“CPDLC is alternative to voice communication. It comes in form of text messages, so when the sound is not clear you use it and send message to the controller,” he explained.

THISDAY also learnt that the system operates from 29, 000 feet and it is fully utilised by over fliers; that is, aircraft flying across Nigeria to other destinations. They pay charges to NAMA when they use the agency’s services and while flying across Nigeria they use CPDLC.

“The essence of this is to reduce congestion in the communication network. It is very long-range communications system that provides services from 29, 000 feet. Those that use it most are international airlines, including over fliers. It is largely used by foreign airlines because the have onboard equipment that can receive it. Your aircraft must have corresponding equipment to use it. It is similar to the surveillance system. You must have on-board equipment. When we tested it, we used foreign airlines,” he said.

The NAMA boss noted that the initial eight satellite stations “became very inadequate because the number of airplanes in the airspace was growing. New airlines were being set up, new airports were being built; so we have to deploy more sophisticated equipment.”

He said that the new communication infrastructure enhanced NAMA’s ability to give separation to aircraft and efficiently provide communication between air traffic controllers and pilots, ground to ground and ground to air communications.

The federal government is also completing work on a major communication infrastructure, which is the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS).

“The Aeronautical Information Service automation is linked to communication. When it comes on stream it will enhance communication. The project is designed for 26 locations, including 24 airports, the headquarters of NAMA and also the headquarters of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) because the agency engages in search and rescue so it needs the services of AIS.

“The AIS infrastructure would provide the platform for issuance of Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and aeronautical information publication (AIP). It is also used for aeromedical briefing before the pilot goes to fly. So the equipment provides the information, it is meant to sustain the flow of information,” he further said.

THISDAY also learnt that with technology advancement and new development in the communication system for the aviation industry, airspace management is migrating to more dependence on equipment and technology to reduce encumbrances in airspace communication and to also reduce human interface, which is responsible for most of the error, known as human error.

“So with the new development pilots can stay in the cockpit and get all the information he needs, file flight plan without coming the agency. Now there are still paper works, which will be eliminated. The AIS will link Nigeria to her neigbbouring countries, using what is called Air Traffic Services Message Handling System,” he added.