Air travel within Nigeria may stall beginning today, as all Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) in the employ of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) pledged to withdraw their services to local and foreign airlines starting mid-night yesterday (Sunday).
The air traffic controllers said in a statement, that NAMA is insensitive to their welfare.
They also claimed that navigational equipment in the country’s airports were constantly breaking down due to lack of maintenance, adding that this constituted a safety hazard.
The workers, alleged that the actions of NAMA against them, especially as it relates to incessant breakdown of navigational equipment, had led to the decision to down tools.
“We regret to express our grievances on the lack of the recognition of the long-standing sacrifices and display of patriotism by Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers being among the prime professionals in the aviation industry, at keeping the Nigerian airspace safe despite various challenges being faced in carrying out the safety critical functions.
“Nigeria’s 30 airports and airstrips are being manned by about 300 Air Traffic Controllers as against optimum number of 600 required. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology also suffer similar fates.
“This high deficiency in ATC manpower needs to be addressed urgently and patriotically in the interest of air safety. NAMA being an Air Navigation Services Provider, has only 11 percent of its workforce as ATC, as against 45 percent to 75 percent for other more efficiently run ANSPs” they said.
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They also claimed that many at times, navigational equipment breakdown and some are already unserviceable, yet the agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring its efficiency refusedt o listen to their pleas.
“We wish to inform the public that incessant air traffic delays and cancellations during this season were not only due to reduction in visibility, but reasonably due to non-serviceability of navigational aids, such as Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), VOR at destination aerodromes.
“The TRACON in Lagos has also witnessed frequent total collapse in recent times. In the past four days, it has collapsed totally twice. When any of the equipment fails; the workloads of Air Traffic Controllers and pilots increases , thus increasing the levels of fatigue, thereby encouraging infringement on air safety.
“Since 9th December, 2011, Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) had written many letters requesting for the review of ATC professional allowances approved as palliatives, pending the actualisation of Controllers’ request for creation of Air Traffic Controllers Salary Structure (ATCSS) as contained in the agreement signed with NAMA “Management on 14thDecember, 2008, that have not been accorded any justifiable considerations by NAMA Management.
“With this, the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association wishes to inform all Airlines operating within and into the country and the public that anyone that risks flying while the withdrawal of our service lasts, will be risking the lives of flying public.
“There may be an attempt on the part of management to attempt to use unqualified persons to provide Air Traffic Control, any airlines that risk operating do so at their own risk”, they said.
