Air safety: All our landing facilities are routinely maintained – NAMA

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has  debunked a media report that all Nigeria’s landing facilities are poorly maintained or unfit for harmattan operations.

NAMA stated unequivocally that all navigational aids at the Federal Government airports are routinely maintained, flight-checked, and calibrated in strict compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig CARs).

Noted with concern, NAMA said claims by the recent publication could mislead the public regarding the state of air navigation safety and the serviceability of landing facilities across Nigerian airports.

According to the agency, while seasonal meteorological conditions are a legitimate subject of public discourse, it is essential that such discussions are anchored on technical accuracy, regulatory context, and an informed understanding of how aviation safety systems function.

Unfortunately, some of the assertions made in the referenced report risk creating unnecessary public anxiety by conflating weather-induced operational limitations with alleged infrastructure inadequacies.

NAMA maintained that “the processes (maintenance of all its navigational facilities) are not discretionary. They are mandatory safety requirements, conducted using NAMA’s dedicated flight inspection and calibration aircraft, operated by highly trained technical and flight inspection personnel. Equipment such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), and other CNS/ATM infrastructure undergo periodic ground and airborne verification to ensure operational accuracy, signal integrity, and safety reliability.

“Furthermore, all such activities are carried out under continuous regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which audits compliance, validates calibration cycles, and enforces corrective actions where necessary.

“In line with global best practices, NAMA does not operate in opacity. The status of navigational aids nationwide is formally published through Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP) Supplements, accessible to airlines, pilots, operators, and international stakeholders.”

NAMA said it considered it necessary, in the overriding interest of public confidence and factual clarity, to place the following facts on record.