How back-up system solved air-to-ground communication damage-NAMA MD

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Ahmed Umar, has disclosed that the fire that engulfedTerminal I of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, completely destroyed the agency’s air-to-ground communication system.

NAMA’s damaged communication system

Speaking at the on-the-spot assessment, of the fire that gutted the Lagos airport terminal, he said NAMA engineers successfully transitioned to backup communication systems sourced from other locations, adding that this allowed controllers to resume aerodrome and approach services later that same evening.

Air-to-ground communication is the two-way exchange of information between an aircraft in flight and personnel on the earth’s surface, typically Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) or airline dispatchers

Aviation communication primarily uses Very High Frequency (VHF) radio waves for line-of-sight communication (short range) and High Frequency (HF) or Satellite Communications (SATCOM) for long-range or oceanic flights.

The severity of the communication failure was underscored by the fact that 14 personnel, including air traffic controllers and NAMA engineers, were trapped on the 9th floor of the control tower as smoke cut off their escape routes.

They were famously rescued using a construction crane while the fire reportedly raged in the server room below.

He noted that, on inspection, they witnessed a significant loss in communication at their facility, along with other air traffic services disrupted.

Because the fire originated in the server room on the first floor and spread vertically, Umar noted that it incapacitated critical communication and navigation links, forcing a temporary closure of the Lagos airspace.

Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) had been relocated to the Fire Tower (a secondary facility) to maintain contact with incoming and departing aircraft.

As of yesterday, civil works were being finalised to deploy a mobile control tower to the airfield, stressing that this unit is expected to be fully operational within 48 hours, providing more robust and reliable communication than the temporary backups.

While the terminal building itself was already slated for demolition and a N712 billion reconstruction, the fire destroyed vital operational equipment.

Aside from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) office, which was completely wiped out, including billions of naira worth of vital weather-reading equipment, NAMA’s communication equipment was also gutted by the inferno.

The fire spread toward the control tower area, trapping 14 staff members (including air traffic controllers and engineers), who were rescued using a construction crane.

“We had no option at the time of the fire incident but to suspend inbound aircraft into Lagos. But, fortunately, the Director of Operations of NAMA was around, and there was a prompt response to the emergency situation that we found ourselves in”.

“I commend the Directors of Operations and Engineering Services and those workers who were on the ground. Some of them actually put their lives in danger because they were supposed to run and leave their posts, but decided to stay to salvage the situation. We are excited about it”.

The NAMA boss stated that the communication, aerodrome approach and air control remain uninterrupted, hinting that despite it being an emergency situation, “We are highly professional and ready to provide air traffic control”.

“I want to assure Nigerians, the flying public, that the airspace still remains safe and we take safety seriously. I am happy that no life was lost. What we are trying to do now is to improve on what we have done so far”.

Wole Shadare