The National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has confirmed that flight calibration of Nigeria’s airspace is currently under way as aviation authorities move to strengthen safety ahead of the harmattan season.
President of the association, Selzing Miri, told journalists in Lagos that after years of depending on foreign expertise to verify critical navigation equipment, Nigeria now possesses its own calibration aircraft and a fully certified local crew to carry out the exercise.
According to him, the development marks a major milestone in the country’s aviation safety architecture.
“The good news is that Nigeria now has a flight calibration aircraft and a functional crew who are fully trained and certified,” Miri said. “Before now, we always faced delays because we needed foreigners to check our equipment before the harmattan period. But the aircraft is operating now. As I speak, flight calibration is already in progress.”
Miri disclosed that calibration of facilities in Lagos would take place on Saturday, while all five international airports across the country would also be covered.
He noted that aviation traffic is expected to surge during the festive season, and assured that the relevant agencies are prepared to ensure safe operations.
“Before the season draws closer, most airports will be checked to confirm the serviceability of the facilities used by airlines,” he said.
Flight calibration is the process of using specialised aircraft to test and verify signals from ground-based navigation aids in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, ensuring accuracy and reliability for flight operations.
