Aviation
Nigeria Government Reopens Maiduguri Airport
MAIDUGURI – The federal government has re-opened the Maiduguri International Airport in Borno State for civil, scheduled and unscheduled flight services after the Boko Haram attack on December 2, 2013.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nnamdi Udoh, who stated that some of the agency’s equipment, including components of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON), power generating sets and instrument landing system (ILS) destroyed by the attack had been restored by NAMA.
Although commercial flight services has not started in the airport, Udoh said airlines could now resume flight operations as the damaged navigation equipment at the airport has been fixed.
The managing director of NAMA said the federal government had also installed some sophisticated air navigation equipment at the airport to boost surveillance around the country’s borders with Cameroon where, according to him, there is increased infiltration of suspected terrorists.
“We initially had some communication problem in the airspace around Maiduguri due to the attack on TRACON by the Boko Haram sect, but that’s history now, because the TRACON has been fixed.
“The Maiduguri airport has now been re-opened. The governor of the state has donated a power generating set to facilitate the re-opening of the airport, and now, the TRACON is fully operational,” Udoh said.
He said the insecurity in the area has prompted the federal government to introduce a new air navigation technology called wide area augmentation and automatic data surveillance broadcast which has been installed around the airport to boost security.
Udoh said the same technology was being deployed in the Niger Delta area, for helicopters involved in oil and gas operations.
“We have finished the survey for the Niger Delta area for this year, and we have gotten the report so we want to deploy ADSB and multi-alteration which come under wide area of augmentation system.
“Now we are going to need this around Maiduguri and Yola airports because of the security issue. We are collaborating with the military on how to see this through,” Udoh said.
On communication in the airspace, the NAMA boss said the VHF radio coverage of Nigeria had effectively covered the whole airspace and whenever there are hiccups, the agency’s engineer would fix it, adding that unlike in the past, poor communication in the airspace has become a thing of the past.
“VHF radio is available; of course if there is a power failure, someone will fix it, if there is frequency deficiency, someone is there to fix it.
“For instance, how would anybody expect that a new airplane that belongs to Airbus crashed on its first flight? Technology is not perfect but whenever problem arises we fix it,” he said.
Udoh said the radio1273 which is the Southern frequency and the 1209 which is the Northern frequency based in Sokoto and Maiduguri are working, adding that protracted power outage could disrupt communication in areas like Maiduguri which all the time rely on electricity from the generators.
“So, during those periods, those challenges arose and it affected us, it is not a question of maybe it is not available, so between Jos and Yola, if nobody could talk to you, you just blamed it on power failure. So now the problem of communication has been conquered; we can only be improving on what we have achieved,” Udoh stated.
– THIS DAY
An Abuja-Accra flight experienced technical difficulties mid-air on Friday, forcing it to return to Abuja, shortly after departure.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) made the disclosure in a statement, adding that it has launched investigation into what it described as a serious accident.
Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji stated that preliminary investigations revealed the aircraft experienced an engine number two indication issue.
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It was gathered that the aircraft, with registration number 5NKAL which was operating a flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja (DNAA), to Kotoka International Airport, Accra (DGAA).
She explained that four persons were onboard when the incident occurred. The crew immediately requested for a diversion back to Abuja due to the engine indication.
Oladeji added that the crew managed to safely land the aircraft at Abuja Airport at 18:16 UTC.
There were no injuries reported, and all individuals on board are safe.
Nigeria has acquired 12 pre-owned Alpha Jets from the French Air Force as part of efforts to enhance the operational capacity of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The deal, facilitated through SOFEMA, a French military and aeronautics company, was announced by Olusegun Dada, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on via X on Thursday.
He said, “All the 12 aircraft are ready for shipping.”
The Alpha Jet, a product of Franco-German collaboration, is a versatile military aircraft designed for light attack and advanced training missions.
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Equipped to carry bombs, rockets, and missiles, the aircraft also features a gun pod for close air support.
The NAF already operates 11 Alpha Jets, but this latest procurement signals a significant boost to its fleet.
Dada also confirmed that the Air Force is expecting 24 M-346FA light attack aircraft, ordered during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The first batch of these Italian-made aircraft is expected to arrive early next year.
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff, described the acquisitions as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to bolstering the armed forces.
“This renewal of our aircraft fleet reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Nigerians,” Abubakar said.
The announcement comes on the heels of President Tinubu’s three-day state visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The visit, which took place from November 27 to November 30, highlighted deepening ties between the two nations.
To ensure the sustainability of its expanding fleet, the Air Force has proposed establishing a local maintenance hub.
Speaking in October, Abubakar noted that six units of the M-346FA aircraft were already in production, with the initial batch of three expected to be delivered in early 2025. The full fleet is projected to arrive by 2026.
“These developments underscore the importance of creating a domestic support system for the long-term upkeep of our aircraft,” Abubakar added.
As the holiday season draws near, Aero Contractors has introduced a minimum ticket price of N80,000 for all local flights.
The move, which will last until January 2024, aims to ease the financial burden on Nigerians amid the high cost of living.
Ado Sanusi, Managing Director of Aero Contractors, made the announcement on Tuesday during a press briefing, describing the fare reduction as a gesture to help Nigerians celebrate Christmas and the New Year without the stress of steep ticket prices.
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Sanusi said, “We understand the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, especially with high ticket prices, and we know the holiday season is nearby.
“In the spirit of Christmas, Aero Contractors has introduced what we call pocket-friendly Christmas prices. These fares, starting at N80,000, will apply to all our destinations, allowing Nigerians to travel without excessive costs.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, an economy class ticket from Lagos to Abuja was priced at N99,643, while business class tickets were being sold for N189,167.
Sanusi further explained that the initiative was designed to make it easier for families to reunite during the holidays.
“This is a way for us, as an organization with a long history of serving Nigerians, to give back to our loyal customers. We want to make it possible for families to meet their loved ones during this festive season without worrying about exorbitant travel costs,” he added.
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