Air Traffic Controllers, under the umbrella of National Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA), has raised concern over the state of the control tower in Kano and Jos airports as they constitute risk to the controllers working there.
The body, which is under the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), said both towers have been taken over by bees and rodents while it is usually water-soaked each time its rains.
President and the General Secretary of the association, Victor Eyaru and Banji Olawode, in a statement made available to reporters, charged NAMA to rehabilitate the towers and ensure a conducive working environment.
The statement disclosed that the installation of equipment at the Kano new control tower has not been completed after many years of waiting.
“Despite improvements recorded in recent months, the problem with the ATC communication at the two Area Control Centers in Lagos (127.3MHz) and Kano (124.1MHz & 128.5MHz) of which that of Kano Centre is worst of needs further attention.
“The installation of equipment at the Kano new control tower has not been completed after many years of waiting. The complete abandon of the repair work on centre taxiway at the Murtala Mohammed Airport for over five years has reduced the capacity of the airport considerably, leaving controllers and pilots to sweat it out at busy periods.
NATCA maintained that provision of controller–pilot data link communications (CPDLC) for data communication between pilots and controllers would reduce the sole dependence on voice communication.
