NATCA to FG: Conduct comprehensive safety evaluation of airport control towers

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has called on the federal government to carry out a comprehensive safety evaluation of all airport control towers in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
According to NAN, Edino Amos, NATCA president, requested the evaluation in a statement on Tuesday, praising the leadership of Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development.
Amos also commended air traffic controllers (ATCs) for their response to the fire incident at terminal one of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Monday.
He lauded the managing director (MD) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for what he described as prompt decision-making and effective crisis management.
According to the NATCA president, NAMA took a proactive step to temporarily close the airspace in line with safety protocols following the fire outbreak.
“After evacuation and activation of contingency measures, the agency coordinated the orderly reopening of the airspace within the hour,” he said.
“In a remarkable display of teamwork, ATC and other personnel relocated to the Fire Tower and resumed services seamlessly.
“Air traffic engineers worked with exceptional speed and precision to redeploy critical communication radios to the fire tower.”
Amos said the swift response demonstrated professionalism and resilience within Nigeria’s air navigation services.
However, he noted that the incident exposed critical infrastructural and safety gaps requiring urgent attention.
“NATCA calls on the federal government to conduct a comprehensive safety evaluation of all control towers in line with ICAO standards,” the NATCA president said.
“Government should also expedite completion of the safe tower project, especially at MMIA, to provide a secure and modern working environment.”
Amos reaffirmed the association’s commitment to protecting the flying public, safeguarding aviation professionals, and strengthening Nigeria’s air navigation services.