FUTURE OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION                                          

Air Traffic Control in Nigeria in terms of development and practice is at the elementary stage. Procedural control is still the primary means of air traffic control in the country. This is the situation despite seventy-five years of ATC practice in Nigeria. One could say, for instance, that ATC has evolved from the provision of light information service to advisory service and then to air traffic control services. Yes, this is the evolutionary process for ATC globally. However, the process seems to have been rather slow in Nigeria. We are into the 21st Century.

The ATC environment in Nigeria is still characterized by services and procedures of 1960's and 70's. The radar was introduced into the Nigerian ATC environment in the late 1970's. While it lasted, it served as a 'secondary surveillance' system for ATC. However, all the radar stations except one are unserviceable now. The technical reliability of the remaining one has deteriorated considerably achieving a primary surveillance radar range portion of the Nigerian airspace remains uncontrolled. Inter-unit co­ordination of traffic remains a mirage. Coordination is basic to ATC. Once it is missing no meaningful ATC practice can evolve. This, more than any other reason makes ATC services in Nigeria elementary. A situation where nearly all the traffic in the national airspace could be regarded as 'pop-ups' is not only dangerous but also unacceptable to the aviation community.

Despite all these problems, the future seems to hold some prospects for ATC service in Nigeria. The unfolding digital technology will enable Nigeria to leapfrog into the 21sl Century ATM environment. Today's air traffic controller will then be known and acknowledged as air traffic managers. The service to be provided to airspace users would have evolved from tactical air traffic management to more of strategic air traffic management where ATM clearance given at the aerodrome of departure will subsist to destination aerodrome. However, this is contingent upon the fact that we accept to carefully plan for this great future. Planning, as far as I am concerned is ninety per cent of the job done. We seem to deliberately refuse to accept this fundamental fact of life. Most of the developments we have witnessed in our ATC system have been adhoc and based on impulse. We must do better than if we are to catch up with our counterparts in the developed world. The beginning for us is to have a Master Plan detailing our future goal and then work out strategies to achieve this. This may look too basic to many people but it is a general problem in our environment. People need to be convinced that planning is an essential ingredient in any development.

ATC DEVELOPMENT

The foundation for aviation development in Nigerian was laid by the colonial administration in 1935 when work commenced on the construction of aerodromes in six Nigerian towns: Maiduguri, Lagos, Kaduna, Minna, Oshogbo and Kano. After the Royal Air Force had pulled out of the country, the Colonial Government transferred the responsibilities for civil aviation in the country to the Public Works department, which subsequently inherited the maintenance of the thirty-one airstrips, across the country then, as well as the co­ordination of aeronautical services provided by the Posts and Telegraphs Department. In 1950, following the appointment of Mr. E.H. Coleman as the Director of Civil Aviation for the British Colonies in West Africa by the Government in London, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) was created to take over the provision and maintenance of air transport facilities, including aerodromes and communications facilities among others. In 1964, a Civil Aviation Act was passed into law, which by its various rules and regulations including Rules of Air and Air Traffic Control (RAC), streamlined and gave a sense of direction for orderly conduct of aviation practice in Nigeria. The period marked the beginning of air traffic control service in Nigeria.

During the 1st National Development plan period (1962-1968), Government attention was focused on the extension of the length of the runways in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt airports. Inadequate funds were allocated to the development of telecommunications and navigation facilities. Some progress was made in this respect during the 2nd National Development Plan period (1970 - 1974). However, it was during the 3rd National Development Plan period (1975-1980) that serious attention was paid to the development of aerodromes and air navigation facilities and service. The period witnessed: the installation of six approach radar stations, navigation and landing aids and intensified efforts made to organize, recruit and train staff for the Civil aviation Department especially air traffic controllers.

The aerodrome development programme of the Government has significantly influenced the development of air traffic control in the country. Air traffic Control units were established to ensure the safety of flights during their climb to and descent from cruising flight levels. This informed the establishment of Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMAs) around our airports. As at today the airspace organization and structure has not extended to the en-route phase of flights or the en route portion of the national airspace. This is mainly due to lack of communications -aero mobile and aero fixed. More significantly, the primary means of air traffic control remains the procedural method. Radar service is nearly non-existed. The ATC system has not been developed for flight data processing, short-term traffic collision advisory (STCA), etc.

ATC PRACTICE

ATC practice in Nigeria has not significantly over the years. The basic problems remain the same: lack of management and other advanced training for ATC personnel, lack of basic research and non-application of scientific management strategies.

Many international organizations missions to Nigeria have always lamented the lack of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for ARC facilities and comprehensive Quality Assurance Programme.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Management and other advanced training for ATC personnel should be part of a continuing training system designed to prepare suitable personnel for higher level appointment. It is therefore unrealistic to expect that an individual controller who, by nature of his job, is not exposed to management, organizational or administrative duties will be able to assume these responsibilities successfully without adequate specialized training.

WORK STUDY (METHOD STUDY)

This will lead to efficiency in workplace arising from standardization of procedures and practices.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

>   Informal - This is to be accomplished at the facility level by the officer appointed to undertake proficiency checks.

>   Formal - This is to be done by headquarters personnel in charge of Quality Assurance

STRESS MANAGEMENT

>   Counselling services

>   Sports (fitness centers programme) and social facilities

>   Relaxation facilities

THE NEW CNS.ATM SYSTEMS

Description of the 1CAO CNS Concept

The main features of the global concept of the CNS system to be implemented within the next ten years or thereabout may be summarised as follows:

COMMUNICATIONS

a. Satellite data and voice communications capable of global coverage. Initially, high frequency (HF) may have to be maintained in the transition period and over polar regions until such time as satellite communication is available;

b.   Very high frequency (VHF) data will be used along with VHF voice in many continental and terminal areas:

c.   The secondary surveillance radar (SSR) Mode S data link will be used for air traffic services (ATS) purposes in high-density airspace;

d.   The aeronautical telecommunication network (ATN) will provide network (ATN) will provide for the interchange of digital packet data between end-users over dissimilar air-ground and ground-ground communication links.

NAVIGATION

a.   Progressive introduction of area navigation (RNAV) capability in compliance the required navigation performance (RNP) criteria;

b.   Global Navigation Satellite System(s) (GNSS) will provide worldwide coverage and will be used for aircraft navigation and for non-precision type approaches may become common as    well. Additionally, GNSS will be used for providing surface movement guidance;

c.   The GNSS will phase out the current microwave landing system (MLS) and instrument landing system (ILS) for precision approach and landing;

d.   Non-directional radio beacon (NDB) and VHF omni-directional radio range/distance measuring equipment (VOR/DME) will be progressively withdrawn.

SURVEILLANCE

a. SSR Mode A/C or SSR Mode S will be used in terminal areas in high-density continental airspace;

b. Automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) will be used extensively. In continental and some terminal area, it may eventually become a supplement to SSR;

c. The use of primary radar will diminish.

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

IMPROVEMENTS

The new CNS system will provide for closer interaction between the ground system and the airspace users before and during flight. Improvements to ATM will, therefore, permit a more flexible and efficient use of the airspace and enhance traffic safety and regularity of flight. ATM may be viewed as the principal beneficiary of the CNS improvements, i.e. it is the resultant benefits to ATM which constitute the rationale for incurring the costs of CNS improvements. In turn, improvements in ATM will ultimately all airspace users.

The following directions of change in ATM, supported by the future CNS system elements, are envisaged:

a. improved handling and transfer of information between operators, aircraft, and ATS units;

b. extended surveillance by using aircraft position derived from airborne systems, through automatic dependent surveillance;

c. advanced ground-based data processing systems, allowing for:

i. the ability to take advantage of the navigation accuracy in four dimensions of modern aircraft, ii. Improved accommodation of a flight's preferred profile in all phases of flight, based on operator's objectives;

iii. Improvement in conflict detection and resolution, automated generation transmission, on conflict-free clearances and adaptation to changing traffic conditions: and

d. the above three directions, combined with improved planning, will allow more dynamic airspace and air traffic management, particularly in high-density airspaces.

BENEFITS

The benefits of the new CNS/ ATM systems are of many types and cover all aspects of aviation. Thus the new CNS system will make improvements in it own right and, more importantly, will form the basis for improvements in air traffic management.

BENEFITS OF THE NEW COMMUNICA TIONS SYSTEM

Data communications will allow more direct and efficient linkages between ground and airborne automation systems. Improved data handling and transfer among operators, aircraft, and air traffic service providers will reduce channel congestion, reduce errors, and permit the effective linkage of ground and airborne systems. Such linkage will serve to facilitate enhancements to the provision of air traffic management services.

BENEFITS OF THE NEW NA V1GA TION SYSTEM

GNSS will provide a high integrity, high accuracy, world­wide navigation service, suitable as a sole means of navigation for en-route, terminal, non-precision and possibly Cat I precision approach and landing operations. The system will be able to be used in conjunction with other systems (e.g., inertia! navigation systems (INS) to support RNP requirements, and will offer four-dimensional navigational accuracy).

The implementation of the system will enable aircraft to navigate in all airspace environments in any part of the world, using satellite-based navigation avionics. Thus, existing ground-based navigation aids will find diminishing utility and may eventually be withdrawn, offering significant savings to provider States. Additionally, the new system will permit any runway to be a non-precision, and perhaps a precision approach runaway, opening the vista for improve air transport services in many regions of the world. Lastly, GNSS will enhance airport capacity by providing the basis for a precision surface movement guidance and control system.

BENEFITS OF THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

In oceanic and some continental areas where position reporting is the only available means of surveillance, ADS will provide a significant early benefit. ADS service will be the basis for potentially significant enhancements in flight safety and in flight operation costs. By using ADS, supported by direct pilot-controller communications, today's procedural airspace can evolve to the point where air traffic services are provided in much the same manner as in today's radar airspace.

In association with improved and more accurate aircraft position reporting, the sue ADS will support reductions in separation minima in today's non-radar airspace. Such reductions will alleviate delays and diversions from preferred flight paths and would reduce flight operating costs as compared to current operations in such airspace. ADS will also support improved ATC flexibly, enabling controllers to be more responsive to aircraft flight preference. This flexibility will contribute to cost saving for flight operations.

AIR TRAFFI