The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo has embarked on a two-nation tour to carry out critical factory inspections as well as hold meetings with two leading aviation infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG for the supply of infrastructural equipment for the construction of the on-going second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The tour will take the minister and his delegation to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria.
The delegation includes the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Farouk Umar, the director general, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike and the director of engineering, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Abiola Adejare.
Spokesman for the minister, Mr Tunde Moshood said in a statement that the visit was initiated by the managing director of Avsatel, Mr Georg Eder and his deputy, Mr Abdullahi Bayi, alongside the project’s chief consultant on airfield lighting, navigational aids, communications, and meteorology, KEFE Engineering Limited, Mr Mohammed Sodiq.
Moshood said the first stop of the delegation was Helsinki, Finland, where they inspected the weather radar at Helsinki Airport.
“This was followed by a comprehensive meeting with the management and a visit to the manufacturing plant of Vaisala OYJ, the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of meteorological equipment,” he said.
The statement added: “During the visit, the Vaisala team provided an in-depth overview of the company’s core specialisations, including automatic weather observing systems, runway visual range, wind shear alert systems, weather radar integration, lightning information integration and runway management.
“The Nigerian delegation was then given a tour of the meteorological equipment at Helsinki Airport, providing valuable insights into the operational efficiency and technological advancements of the equipment.
“The delegation’s next stop was Vienna, Austria, where they met with the management and visited the manufacturing plant of Frequentis AG, a global leader in voice communication and control systems for air traffic management.
“The managing director of NAMA and the director general of NiMet discussed the importance of synchronising weather and radar applications on the same software platform to enhance safety and operational effectiveness.
“This collaborative approach is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of air traffic management and weather forecasting in Nigeria.”
The statement quoted Keyamo as saying: “This visit is a crucial step in ensuring that our aviation infrastructure is equipped with the latest technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.
“The partnerships we are forging with industry leaders like Vaisala and Frequentis AG are vital for the successful implementation of our projects, such as the Abuja second runway.”
