NAMA begins calibration of landing aids at Lagos Airport

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency is starting calibration of the Doppler VHF Omni-Directional Range and the Category III Instrument Landing System on Friday at the Lagos Airport.
Khalid Emele, the General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
NAN reports that calibration aircraft acquired by the Federal Government for calibration of navigational aids was not operational because of numerous factors.
This made some aircraft to land at the neighbouring countries last week due to inability to have a clearer visibility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Emele told NAN that the agency had commenced the calibration technically in Abuja with some of the flight instructors and engineers in Abuja for the pre-calibration exercise.
The NAMA official said: “January 16 was for the pre-calibration brief, while today, January 17, the aircraft will be operated and we will commence the calibration exercise.
“We are hopeful to commence with Lagos DVOR and CATIII.”
Emele said the airspace managers would be calibrating the navigational aids of all the nation’s airports.
Emele said these include the ongoing installation of Enugu new ILS/DME that would be ready soon with the newly-acquired King Air 350i calibration airplane with Omni Blue as a backup in case of failure.
He said the ILS calibration was done twice a year in February and November and every six months because of the level of accuracy required.
Emele explained that while the Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range was calibrated once in a year, the radar system was once in every three years.
NAN reports that calibration is a process that ensures the safety of air navigation, principally by conducting regular flight inspection.
Other processes are the calibration of test equipment and avionics systems, surveillance of airspace systems, and certification of navigation aids and associated facilities.
This is in accordance with the stipulated procedures as recommended in International Civil Aviation Organisation document 8071, annexes 10 (Vols I & II) and 14 as well as NCAA regulations.
NAN.