The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said on Sunday that it was prepared to switch to Satellite Based Navigational System (SBNS), otherwise known as Performance Base Navigation (PBN), for faster landing.
Supo Atobatele, the General Manager of NAMA, said in Lagos that the organisation would meet all aviation stakeholders, including pilots to bring them up to speed about the new system.
“Anytime from now, we will announce a specific date for the commencement of the PBN system in Nigeria, particularly for the major air routes and airports such as Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Kano,” Mr Atobatele said.
He urged airline operators and pilots to adopt the SBNS, which takes effect soon.
“For you to operate within the sphere of the PBN, your aircraft must be compliant and it must carry the prerequisite gadgets,’’ Mr Atobatele said.
He said the airlines that would operate on the system would be those whose aircraft were compliant with the PBN system.
Emirate Airline was the first to carry out a test approach on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in Lagos. in Kano, however, KLM was the first to carry out the same test.
“As of today, South Africa Airways has equally joined, they did it on their own and it was 100 per cent successful,” he said. “So, we are urging all the local airlines to join too.”
Mr. Atobatele said that compliant aircraft would land faster, because it would facilitate seamless flight operation without the pilot having to contact the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).
He said that the PBN would allow the pilots to see all necessary information on the cockpit while in the air.
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