The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has commenced a comprehensive competency appraisal of all Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) Officers in all airports across the country.
The exercise which is targeted at testing AIS officers in areas such as Aeronautical Charts, AIS Publication and Operations started from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and is to proceed to other airports in the country in the coming weeks.
Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu stressed that greater attention must be given to information relayed by AIS officers to enhance safety of air navigation.
He said, “Considering the pivotal role aeronautical information plays in safety of air navigation, and in the light of ongoing migration to AIS Automation, due consideration must be given to the integrity of data being disseminated to airspace users, hence this exercise.”
Akinkuotu who said NAMA places premium on building capacity of staff noted that sustained training and retraining of personnel is being carried out by the agency.
This is with a view to ensure they possess the competencies required to perform critical functions that impact on safety and for them to keep pace with modern trends in a highly dynamic world of aviation.
This, according to him is necessary “to ensure that personnel demonstrate the required competencies to handle specific critical operations,” adding that constant assessment would enable the agency to detect and correct shortfalls as they occur.
