Members of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) have expressed satisfaction over the optimal performance of communications equipment between Pilots and towers across the country’s airspace.
The president of NAAE, Engineer Ishaya Dung in an interview with aviation journalists in Lagos, said there were no more blind spots experienced by Pilots while flying as a result of the installation of new equipment across the country.
Dung said “There were some areas where pilots actually lodged complains that they are blind spots. Management bought Long Range Radios which were actually new in the system. It is new because it was the first time radios were deployed in our system. So far, that challenge has been taken care of and it has been testified to too by some of the pilots that we have interacted with.
He added that “Some time ago, we had a stakeholders’ meeting last year which comprised of stakeholders like NCAA and pilots. In that forum they testified that the challenge of blind spots have actually fizzled out.”
Dung also disclosed that the NAMA management has also purchased brand new operational vehicles to easy mobility adding that it was critical to their operation.
“Now that management has provided new vehicles, it has addressed that challenge. As soon as we do the necessary documentation, we will distribute them to various stations where they are most needed. . They assured us it will be a continuous process until the problem is solved. We also have challenge of advancement on the part of our members moving from one level to the other. But that has been taken care of”
The NAAE president explained that the management has assured the association of the purchase of more operational vehicles.
While commending the NAMA management for improving their working environment with its transformation in the system, NAAE president also appealed to them to address the issue of manpower shortage as a result of retirement of personnel that have put up their mandatory service.
Dung said training and retraining of personnel especially with the acquisition of new equipment have been improved with the coming on board of new directors and managing director.
While appealing to workers to be more dedicated to their job, Dung called on the government to look into their welfare in terms of remuneration where the agency was lagging behind compare to other agencies in the aviation sector.
He noted that the NAAE, which was engulfed in crises before he was elected has become one family adding that the association was focused on moving the agency forward.
“Before we came in, NAAE was bedeviled with crises and the challenges were more of disunity amongst members of the association. By the time, we came in, there is relative stability. We are not there yet but we have made remarkable progress and the atmosphere is quite stable”
