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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Experts from Spain and South Africa have successfully carried out the verification of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the concessioned Asaba Airport in Delta State.
The verification of the ILS which was done with the aid of drones is targeted at improved services with potential international flight operations.
With the verification, the Nigeria Airport Management Agency (NAMA) is expected to carry out the calibration and certification.
Managing Director of the Asaba Airport Company, Christophe Penninck, told reporters that aircraft would now be able to land at the airport even under deteriorated weather conditions up to 800 meters.
Penninck explained that the ILS was installed a long time ago but was never used “because we couldn’t calibrate it but what we have done in the past weeks is that we invited specialists that know how to tune the equipment.
“It is specially used in low visibility conditions which means that during harmattan and raining season we will not have flight cancellations anymore except it goes below the very minimal.
“We intend to build the traffic here from early morning to late at night and also aiming at getting international flights here but without proper calibrated and certified equipment it’s not possible.
“So we actually doing step-by-step upgrading of the facilities at the airport to have more traffic and to give Asaba the opportunity to develop to be the gateway to the South-South.”
Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu commended the airport management for the giant strides recorded almost one year after its concession.
Aniagwu said the state government was delighted with the changes at the airport, adding that traffic has increased bringing the airport to profitability.
“We are quite pleased that we took the decision to concession the airport and it is our hope that in a short while many of those goals we have set for ourselves would have been realised,” Aniagwu said.
He also lauded the airport for its corporate social responsibility, stressing that the company has helped “to reduce unemployment and we have also seen the traffic lights you installed along the expressway.”
