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Air controllers say ageing infrastructure hampering safer skies
- Lament operational deficiencies, stretched human limits, seek better CoS
The situation between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)and aviation authorities has reached a critical juncture.
At the heart of the tension is a direct conflict between ageing infrastructure and the human limits of those tasked with keeping the skies safe.
The primary driver for this potential nationwide flow control is the decay of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure.
When the technical “eyes and ears” of air traffic control fail or become unreliable, the mental load on controllers increases exponentially.
If NATCA moves forward with widespread flow control, it acts as a safety valve. By intentionally limiting the number of aircraft allowed in a specific sector of airspace at one time, they aim to reduce complexity-induced fatigue.
The controllers stated that the situation has reached a point where the safety of personnel, the stability of operations, and the protection of the nation’s airspace can no longer be taken for granted.
To them, it bothers on safety, not driven by convenience or emotion, but by the reality of a safety-critical profession being stretched beyond acceptable limits.
The Association said controllers are currently operating under sustained operational deficiencies, inadequate working tools, unresolved welfare issues, and severe psychological strain, all of which create avoidable risks in a sector where precision and alertness are essential every second of the day.
Equally troubling is the lack of structured training, retraining, and manpower development for Air Traffic Controllers. Aviation is a highly dynamic industry that requires continuous professional development to keep pace with evolving technologies, procedures, and global best practices.
However, insufficient investment in recurrent training programmes and the absence of long-term manpower development planning, they said, have slowed professional growth and weakened operational resilience.
Without sustained capacity-building initiatives, the system they noted risks producing fewer adequately prepared controllers to meet the increasing demands of Nigeria’s expanding airspace.
The group further drew attention to unsafe and substandard working conditions, particularly at some control tower facilities that fall short of basic ergonomic and safety requirements.
The Association cited the recent fire incident at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where controllers reportedly had to escape through dangerous means before being rescued by crane, yet still resumed operations under traumatic conditions immediately afterwards.
This incident, according to them, exposes the hidden risks controllers face while serving the public under intense pressure.
Another major issue is prolonged career stagnation. NATCA stated that many experienced Air Traffic Controllers have remained on Grade Level 16 for periods ranging from 6 to 13 years, a situation the Association described as deeply demoralising in a profession that demands discipline, excellence, and long-term commitment.
The continued delay in career progression, NATCA said, sends the wrong message to hardworking professionals who shoulder huge responsibilities without corresponding advancement.
The association also condemned the failure to review the air traffic controllers’ professional and aeromedical allowances.
It stated that Air Traffic Controllers’ professional allowances have not been reviewed since 2012, despite worsening economic conditions, and that the allowances intended to support mandatory ICAO aeromedical examinations remain grossly inadequate.
They insist that these allowances are not privileges but essential support for maintaining valid certification, operational readiness, and the health of controllers who must remain medically fit for duty.
While NATCA acknowledged the efforts of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the wider aviation authorities, it urged urgent intervention, meaningful engagement, and lasting solutions.
The Association called on the public to understand that air traffic controllers are not asking for luxury, but for the minimum conditions required to perform a high-risk national duty safely and effectively.
