Minister Leads Delegation to Europe For Abuja Second Runway Project

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo led a high-profile delegation to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, for critical factory inspections and familiarisation meetings with two of the world’s leading aviation infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG for the supply of infrastructural equipment for the construction of the on-going Abuja second runway.

The delegation included the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar; the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof. Charles Anosike; and the Director of Engineering, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Abiola Adejare.

This visit was initiated by the Managing Director of Avsatel, Georg Eder MBA, and his deputy, Engr. Abdullahi Bayi, alongside the project’s Chief Consultant on Airfield Lighting (AFL), NavAids, Communications, and Meteorology, KEFE Engineering Limited, Engr. Mohammed Sodiq.

The first stop for the Nigerian delegation was in 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.

The delegation was received by Vaisala’s Mauri Vapola, Application Manager; Juha Salmivaara, R&D Manager; and Kimmo Rustolainen, Director for MEA for Central Asia and Ukraine.

During the visit, the Vaisala team provided an in-depth overview of the company’s core specializations, including Automatic Weather Observing Systems (AWOS), Runway Visual Range (RVR), Wind-shear Alert Systems, Weather Radar Integration, Lightning Information Integration and Runway Management.

Spokesman for the Minister, Mr. Tunde Moshood in a statement said the Nigerian delegation was 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. Dr. Bernd Novak, the Vice President and Head of Global Sales Group for Frequentis AG, presented an overview of their state-of-the-art Voice Communications Switch.

Following the presentation, the duo of NAMA MD and NiMET DG, Umar and Prof. Anosike discussed the importance of synchronizing weather and radar applications on the same software platform to enhance safety and operational effectiveness.

This collaborative approach, he said is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of air traffic management and weather forecasting in Nigeria.

“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,” said Minister Festus Keyamo.

Wole Shadare