Aviation
Unsafe Airspace: NAMA debunks claim by Air Traffic Controllers
By Oyise OGHENE
LAGOS: Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engineer Mazi Nnamdi Udoh yesterday debunked the claim by Air Traffic Controllers that the Nigeria Airspace was unsafe for pilots flying within the country.
Speaking at the agency headquarters in Lagos, Engineer Udoh pointed out that NAMA would like to use the opportunity to reassure Nigerians, all the airspace users, pilots and other stakeholders that the Nigeria airspace is safe for flight operations.
He said”for record purposes, NAMA wants to use this opportunity and this platform to reassure Nigerians and all our airspace users, pilots and other stakeholders that the airspace is safe and will always be safe”
Engineer Udoh further said that if the claim that the country’s airspace was unsafe was from the purview of the Air Traffic Controllers then it means that such Air Traffic Controller had not been working in the last three months stressing that he wonders how aeroplanes could have been flying in the last three months yet they say, the airspace was unsafe.
“If they are quoting Air Traffic Controllers, it means that, that Air Traffic Controller has done no work in the last three months and he is not supposed to be paid and how do aeroplanes fly in the last three months” he asked.
Engineer Udoh however pointed out that the only challenge that was confronting the agency at the moment was its long range of frequency of communication that it has just introduced affirming that there was no control tower that has a single challenge in the country at the moment.
“Now the simple explanation is this, you will not say that you have total DHF today, what were you doing before, we talk to Lagos, we talk to Benin, we talk to Asaba, we talk to Port-Harcourt or Enugu we called it point to point communication now in Lagos with one frequency you can communicate until you are transferred to Port-Harcourt that is just the meaning of that but because of congestion you have to separate East and West of that sector. So at a certain level and at certain a distance from Lagos, you will be talking to Lagos West, Lagos East which is Port-Harcourt so when you are coming, you will talk to Lagos East which is another frequency, it is the same thing with the North. So it is divided into several parts you are talking to this side and you are talking to that side”
“You don’t have to talk to Kaduna going from Abuja to Kano because it is no more point to point because Kaduna now controls a lower level, Zaria controls a lower level so if you are going from Abuja to Kano you have no business with traffic overhead Zaria or Kaduna, if you do that, then you are going to have conflicts. So if people don’t understand, they will say that the control towers don’t have communication, there is no control tower in Nigeria today that has one single challenge we only have challenge on our long range because it is something new and we are integrating it and to integrate anything new in our airspace, we must do safety audit, we must look at the analysis because it is now long range and this is important that we get it clear” Udoh stressed.
According to him,”I make bold to present to you that NAMA received an airspace award just on Saturday. So, I will expect any journalist who is here with us to approach NAMA and ask question, I have a record that pilots have been flying blind in the last three months, is it true, there is rather increase in traffic, everyone knew the commitment to fly to Port-Harcourt over the weekend and we had nearly 150 aeroplanes going in and out of Port-Harcourt in two days, of course the airspace there was bereaved, small Port-Harcourt, how do those operations go. So never can it be true that our airspace is unsafe, if it is unsafe, we will tell you, we will issue a Notice to Air Men (NOTAM), there is an avenue to alert people, there is an avenue to seek for help and that avenue has not come up because that is not correct. If it is unsafe we should be able to tell Nigerians not to fly”
Corroborating the assertion of the Managing Director, the Director of Operations, NAMA Alhaji Mukaila Solola stressed that the claim by the Air Traffic Controllers was a campaign of calumny adding that such moves to tarnish the image of the agency and create unnecessary panic amongst the Nigerian travelling public could be as a denial to allow some of the controllers to go on foreign trip by the agency.
He said”We have taken the bold steps to nip in the bud this campaign of calumny because it impacts on the nation negatively and we would further use this moment to reassure all stakeholders that the situation is definitely not what is portrayed by mischief makers”
Earlier, there was a media report (Not Biztellers) that the Nigerian airspace is gradually becoming a nightmare for pilots flying within the country as indications shows that the radio communications on some routes may have collapsed.
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) has welcomed efforts to promote safe helicopter services across Africa in a proposed Regional Action Plan (RAP).
The plan, according to a company statement, is the highlight of a workshop organised in Lagos within the week by the Aviation subcommittee of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) in partnership with London-based safety advocacy group, HeliOffshore.
Biztellers reports that the two-day Offshore Helicopter Industry Safety Workshop (OHISW) with the theme “Developing a Regional Action Plan,” followed on from a similar session last year which SNEPCo sponsored.
READ ALSO: Ikire Killings: Adeleke Establishes Commission for Coroner Inquiry by Executive Order
It also provided administrative and logistical support for this year’s conference which was sponsored by ExxonMobil. SNEPCo, which pioneered Nigeria’s deepwater production at Bonga in 2005, relies on helicopter shuttles for operations and supports the workshop as part of its contributions towards safe services in Nigeria.
In an address at the opening session delivered by General Manager Contracting and Supply Chain, Charles Oranyeli, Managing Director SNEPCo, Ronald Adams said: “By developing a regional action plan, we can move beyond dialogue to alignment, ensuring that the safety leadership, industry standards, and collaborative approaches championed last year are embedded in a common roadmap for collective improvement. The most effective solutions will come not from isolated efforts, but from partnership, standardization, and coordinated action across the region.”
The workshop was attended by more than 80 representatives from oil and gas companies, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), helicopter operators and original equipment manufacturers.
The event concluded with participants deciding action items for the proposed Regional Action Plan including Search and Rescue (SAR) initiatives, implementation of IOGP Report 690 standards and establishment of formal industry leadership forums.
The IOGP has been active for over 50 years, supporting its more than 90 members around the world to promote “excellence in safe, efficient and sustainable energy.”
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has declared that airlines operating in Nigeria have come under financial pressure following a sharp increase in the price of Jet-A1, also known as aviation fuel.
According to the group, the price of aviation fuel, has surged to about N1,800 per litre in many parts of the country, from about N1,000 per litre two weeks ago. This amounts to almost an 80 per cent increase within a short period.
Aviation fuel remains the largest cost component in airline operations, accounting for about 30 to 35 per cent of total operating expenses.
Industry stakeholders have linked the latest spike to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed up global energy prices.
ALSO READ: Shell Completes Turnaround Maintenance on FPSO, Resumes Production at Bonga
Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, the spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, said the surge had placed airlines under severe financial strain.
According to him, most carriers have so far refrained from immediately transferring the additional cost burden to passengers, despite the pressure on their operations.
“Two weeks ago, we were getting Jet-A1 at about N1,000 per litre, which today is about N1,800, and even more in some stations. We have experienced an increase of about 80 per cent. That’s quite a spike,” Okonkwo said.
He explained that airlines were currently absorbing the losses in order to avoid worsening the economic burden on the travellers.
“We are not in a business where you can easily adjust your ticket price. Right now what we are doing is that we are bleeding. We are taking the blow. We are selling tickets at very non-profitable prices. We are losing a lot of money,” he said.
Okonkwo warned that the situation might not be sustainable if fuel prices continue to rise without government intervention.
“Obviously, adjustments will be expected anytime soon. But again, we are very sensitive to the economic situation of Nigerians and our travellers,” he added.
He noted that developments in the global oil market, particularly the recent release of reserve crude oil, could influence fuel prices in the coming weeks.
Okonkwo also urged the Federal Government to explore engagement with the Dangote Refinery as part of efforts to stabilise aviation fuel supply locally.
“We were more hopeless in a situation where there was no refinery in Nigeria in the last two years. Now that we have a refinery, we are hopeful that we can find a solution around it,” he said.
According to him, if the spike persists, some airlines may struggle to continue absorbing the losses associated with the rising cost of aviation fuel.
Meanwhile, the AON spokesperson also reacted to the decision by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to sanction about five airlines over alleged price fixing.
Okonkwo said while the commission has regulatory powers, the aviation sector remains deregulated, making coordinated price fixing unlikely.
“There is no meeting of airlines where they agree to fix prices. Fixing prices would mean operating as a cartel, and that is not the case,” he said.
He explained that airline ticket pricing varies widely because different aircraft types attract different operating costs.
“Each airline determines its fares based on its own operational costs,” he said.
Okonkwo added that airlines must also demonstrate financial viability to regulators as part of the conditions for maintaining their operating licences.
“At every point in time, you must prove to the regulators that you are financially viable and capable of sustaining operations,” he said.
He urged regulators to take into account the fragile nature of the aviation industry when making policy decisions affecting airlines.
An Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt has suffered a disruption, after the aircraft was affected by a bird strike on arrival at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The airline made the disclosure on Thursday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe.
He added that the incident necessitated safety checks on the affected aircraft and the deployment of another aircraft to convey passengers on subsequent flights.
ALSO READ: Rivers’ CJ Declines Setting Up Panel for Fubara’s Impeachment
“We deeply empathise with passengers affected by this unforeseen incident and are working diligently to minimise disruptions,” Efe said.
The latest incident adds to the growing challenge of bird strikes faced by local airlines.
In December 2025, Air Peace disclosed that it recorded 49 bird strikes across Nigeria between January and September, stressing that even a single strike could ground an aircraft for weeks.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Allen Onyema, had said on Arise TV that bird strikes constituted a major operational challenge, often leading to costly repairs and serious disruptions to flight schedules.
“One bird strike could cripple your aircraft for the next month. At that moment, there is no two ways about it. These bird strikes often lead to costly delays and serious disruptions in flight schedules,” he said.
He added that losses from such incidents compound other challenges facing Nigerian airlines, including heavy taxation and operational constraints.
Nigerian Woman Missing in Qatar 72 Hours After Leaving Airport
‘Apologise or Resign’ — Ebonyi PDP Fires Back at Nwifuru Over 2027 Threat
Panic as Fire Razes 12 Shops in Kwara Shopping Complex
VDM Reacts as Regina Daniels Reportedly Returns to Ned Nwoko (Video)
‘It’s a Lie’ — Wike’s Aide Debunks Peter Obi’s ‘No Shishi’ Claim
‘Sambisa Forest Is as Big as Belgium’ — Defence Minister Reveals Why Kidnap Victims Are Hard to Rescue
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
