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Nigeria: NigComSat Faults Airspace Radar Project
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This Day (Lagos)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Abuja
Managing Director of the Nigerian Communication Satellite Company (NigComSat), Ahmed Rufai has described the on-going multi-million naira project forthe installation of radar equipment in all the international airports in the country as a waste of public funds.
He said the aviation sector can conveniently make use of NigComSat superior radar facility that effectively covers not only Nigeria's airspace but the entire world.
Speaking to THISDAY shortly after a ceremony that marked the one year anniversary of the launch of the communication satellite, Rufai said the companyhad a facility that can provide total radar coverage of the country's air space.
According to him, with the aid of NigComSat-1 L-band communication device, the relevant aviation agency can effectively monitor, communicate and in case of crash, track the location of the plane to about five metres radius.
"NigComSat can set up a system for the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) or the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which they would use to track aircraft movement and to undertakecritical rescue operations", he said. According to him, the satellite's L-band system has world-wide application and reach that offers a lot of advantage to operators in the aviation industry to enhance their operations and effectively check air mishaps.
"It is unfortunate that some people are talking of a project for the total radar coverage of Nigeria when we have a facility that can cover the whole world", he said. Rufai who spoke against the background of the March 15th incident that led to the mysteriousdisappearance of the Wings Airlines' aircraft, the MD said the nation would have been saved the trauma of a protracted search if the aviation sector was equippedwith the right kind of mechanism to track aircraft flying over the nation's airspace.
According to him, the company has made several proposals to the relevant agencies concerning it readiness to assist in providing the much needed radar coverage for the country but that it has not yielded any fruit. The installation of radar equipment at the country's airport which is being handled by NAMA has been trailed by controversy over release of funds as a result the planned total radar coverage of the airspace before the end of the year may not be guaranteed.
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Rufai said the country could save scarce resources if the aviation sector collaborates with NigComSat to utilize the potentials of the satellite facility toenhance air transport safety.
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