* Localizer Beacon at Enugu Airport
…To Be Calibrated Soon
The Federal Government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has installed a brand-new CAT 2 Instrument Landing System / Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
According to NAMA, the new CAT 2 ILS replaces the old system which was installed in 2003.
The installation by the airspace agency is coming as the build up to the reopening of the airport and it is in fulfilment of the promise made by the Federal Government to upgrade facilities at the airport.
NAMA stated that already, a successful site acceptance test on the equipment has also been conducted by the agency’s engineers in Enugu in preparation for its calibration in the coming days.
In the same vein, in a bid to address communication blind spots in the Lagos South East corridor, the agency has installed a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) for satellite communication at the airport.
This Satellite Communication (SATCOM) node has further been integrated into the national satellite communication network, which is linked to the African Indian Ocean SATCOM Network (AFISNET)
Also linked to the VSAT is the newly installed Remote Control Air-Ground (RCAG) Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication system, ensuring that Enugu now has an extended VHF coverage on 127.3MHz frequency for Lagos South East sector.
Speaking on the gains of this latest installation, Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu who noted with delight that radio communication along the Lagos South East sector has “improved tremendously,” said the installation of the VHF radio in Enugu is “particularly significant as the city is strategically located to accommodate over six routes, both local and international.”
According to him, “Enugu being on a higher latitude can cover for Manfe entry/exit reporting point in Cameroun for international flights like Ethiopian, Rwanda Airlines, Kenya Airways, South Africa Airways and the like.”
The NAMA boss revealed that the new installation has provided Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN)link that would enhance effective data communication for transmission of flight plans, Notice to Air Men(NOTAMs) and Aeronautical Communication messages, just as it has provided effective coordination between Enugu tower and Lagos Area Control Centre through the ATS/DS (Air Traffic Services/ Direct Speech) for departing and arriving traffic ahead of time.
