02-20-2020, 01:19 PM
AVIATION
Flight Diversions: Addressing Menace Of Global Inclement Weather
February 20, 2020
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In this piece, ANTHONY AWUNOR writes that the global adverse weather condition played a major role in the recent diversion of flights coming to Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to other airports.
Recently, the Nigeria airspace has come under intense criticisms following diversion of flights coming to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) to neighboring countries, including Accra, Cotonou, Senegal and others due to poor visibility.
Since the incident came to the fore, the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) to airspace users has been on top of the situation. To ensure safety in Nigeria’s airspace, the managing director/chief executive officer of NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu had since rolled up his sleeves to work with the agency’s professional engineers to resolve the weather-related challenge, a situation that has equally caused the NAMA helmsman sleepless nights alongside his retinue of dedicated technical staff.
Why Some Diversions Are Imperative
Although international flights are gradually returning to normalcy, NAMA had earlier taken an ample time to explain why some aircraft diversions are imperative. According to NAMA, the inability of some international flights to land at the MMIA is largely due to issues of inclement weather and company minimal of affected airlines.
Apart from weather related issues, NAMA had clearly stated their position, emphasizing that such diversions are in the interest of safety, just as the agency maintained that Lagos has two runways- 18 Right and 18 Left.
“The Doppler Very High Omni-Directional Radio Range (DVOR) and the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) at the airport have successfully been calibrated and passed 100%. The localizer (a component of the Instrument Landing System) responsible for horizontal guidance at runway 18 Left has also passed 100% calibration while the glide slope (which is another component of the Instrument Landing System that provides vertical guidance) is undergoing routine maintenance”, NAMA stated.
NCAA Tasks Pilots, Operators
Late last year and ahead of the recent deteriorating weather situation, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had issued a circular cautioning pilots, operators on harmattan haze and safety approach to adopt.
This Advisory Circular was intended to alert pilots to the hazards associated with dust haze which is a dry and dusty wind that blows south from the Sahara across Nigeria and the situation was predicted to persist till March, 2020.
Even at the wake of extreme severe weather situation which necessitated further flight diversions, NCAA had also appealed to passengers for their understanding over the prevailing flight delays and cancellations experienced in airports across the country due to the adverse weather situation.
According to the Authority, in a statement issued February 13th this year, the prevailing inclement weather is a global experience at the moment which had warranted cancellation of in-bound international flights alike; therefore, not peculiar to Nigeria.
In the interest of safety, NCAA also directed pilots and operators to note that air-to-ground visibility may be considerably reduced due to dust haze; aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed operating minima and in severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers and airfield lightings over wide areas making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible and that flights are bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima.
On the other hand, the regulatory agency advised pilots, operators and air traffic controllers to ensure that pilots shall exercise maximum restraint when severe weather condition is observed or forecast by Nimet; flight crews/operators and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) shall ensure adherence to aerodrome weather minima; all pilots shall obtain adequate departure, en-route, destination and alternate aerodromes weather information and briefing from the aerodrome meteorological office prior to flight operations; and that operators shall ensure that necessary measures are put in place to cushion the effects of flight delays or cancellations on their passengers.
Flights Delays, Cancellation As By-Product of Bad Weather
Climate change has a very huge impact in all modes of transportation. In the United States, for example, transportation systems are designed to withstand local weather and climate. Transportation engineers typically refer to historical records of climate, especially extreme weather events, when designing transportation systems. When this factor is not put into consideration, these changes could increase the risk of delays, disruptions, damage, and failure across our land-based, air, and marine transportation systems.
According to the 4th National Climate Assessment Volume II: “Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States” climate change is also projected to increase the frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events including heat waves, flood, fire, sea level rise and storm surges and more intense precipitation.
The report further added that these will increase the risk of disruptions, delays, damage and failure across land, air and marine based transportation systems.
Also piqued by the recent level of cancellations, delays due to weather, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has noted, with great concern, the experiences of air travellers to and from the Murtala Muhammed International airport Lagos regarding flight diversions and, in many cases, outright cancellations, which have been occasioned by highly inclement weather conditions.
Sirika who attributed the difficulty in landing at MMIA to unforeseen weather conditions in an official statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry, James Odaudu, Director, Public Affairs, stated that diversion of incoming international flights to neighboring countries are purely decisions of the airlines which the ministry has no control over.
Ironically, weather related disruptions in the home countries of airlines diverting flights from Lagos airports to other countries are nothing to write home about. For example, thousands of holidaymakers recently faced days of travel chaos as more flights were delayed due to Storm Dennis. In a Nail-biting video footage shown recently, it was gathered that several planes were struggling to land at Heathrow as they push against the stormy conditions and strong winds.
As at last week, around 170 flights were cancelled across the UK affecting 25,000 passengers, with Heathrow and Gatwick being the most hard-hit airports. EasyJet, on its own part has cancelled about 118 flights, while British Airways has axed around 50
Experts Blame Disruptions On Weather
Although, this is the first time Nigeria shall be enjoying Cat 3 ILS, but from all indications and judging from experts’ views, the recent diversion of flights coming to MMIA has to do with weather related issues.
Commenting on the issue, Chairman Board of Trustees, Capt Dele Ore said “harmattan haze is the Northeast trade wind that blows between November and March every year. It will come again next year but when it mixes with ITZ makes it possible to land in Cotonou, Lome or Accra but not Lagos
Capt Ore said, if the US and the Europeans airlines are smart enough to have winter schedules and summer schedules, what is wrong with harmattan schedule during which time you are able to land and when the sun goes down and the dust settles and light from the ground allows landing between 8pm and midnight
The aviation expert queried the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA on what they have been doing when these passengers are not well-treated, adding that “flight diversion have been airlines decision”.
For CAT 3 ILS to function in Lagos and Abuja, Ore explained that ground equipment and flight be calibrated while something should be done to address the problems of regular and safe power source with adequate backup.
Corroborating Capt Ore, Sirika had equally reiterated that the diversion of incoming international flights to neighbouring countries are purely the decision of the airlines, advising that flights could, and should have been rerouted to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja which is shorter or equidistant from Lagos to the foreign airports to which some of the flights have been diverted.
“In recognition of Abuja as an alternate airport, Qatar airlines has applied to divert its flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, to which the Minister granted immediate approval. It is left to be seen why some others decided to divert to another country”, the Minister informed.
Also speaking, Secretary general of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, attributed flight diversions to neighboring countries to weather related hitches.
Flight Diversions: Addressing Menace Of Global Inclement Weather
February 20, 2020
[img=730x0]http://leadership.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Open_Account_4_728x90-1.gif[/img]
In this piece, ANTHONY AWUNOR writes that the global adverse weather condition played a major role in the recent diversion of flights coming to Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to other airports.
Recently, the Nigeria airspace has come under intense criticisms following diversion of flights coming to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) to neighboring countries, including Accra, Cotonou, Senegal and others due to poor visibility.
Since the incident came to the fore, the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) to airspace users has been on top of the situation. To ensure safety in Nigeria’s airspace, the managing director/chief executive officer of NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu had since rolled up his sleeves to work with the agency’s professional engineers to resolve the weather-related challenge, a situation that has equally caused the NAMA helmsman sleepless nights alongside his retinue of dedicated technical staff.
Why Some Diversions Are Imperative
Although international flights are gradually returning to normalcy, NAMA had earlier taken an ample time to explain why some aircraft diversions are imperative. According to NAMA, the inability of some international flights to land at the MMIA is largely due to issues of inclement weather and company minimal of affected airlines.
Apart from weather related issues, NAMA had clearly stated their position, emphasizing that such diversions are in the interest of safety, just as the agency maintained that Lagos has two runways- 18 Right and 18 Left.
“The Doppler Very High Omni-Directional Radio Range (DVOR) and the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) at the airport have successfully been calibrated and passed 100%. The localizer (a component of the Instrument Landing System) responsible for horizontal guidance at runway 18 Left has also passed 100% calibration while the glide slope (which is another component of the Instrument Landing System that provides vertical guidance) is undergoing routine maintenance”, NAMA stated.
NCAA Tasks Pilots, Operators
Late last year and ahead of the recent deteriorating weather situation, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had issued a circular cautioning pilots, operators on harmattan haze and safety approach to adopt.
This Advisory Circular was intended to alert pilots to the hazards associated with dust haze which is a dry and dusty wind that blows south from the Sahara across Nigeria and the situation was predicted to persist till March, 2020.
Even at the wake of extreme severe weather situation which necessitated further flight diversions, NCAA had also appealed to passengers for their understanding over the prevailing flight delays and cancellations experienced in airports across the country due to the adverse weather situation.
According to the Authority, in a statement issued February 13th this year, the prevailing inclement weather is a global experience at the moment which had warranted cancellation of in-bound international flights alike; therefore, not peculiar to Nigeria.
In the interest of safety, NCAA also directed pilots and operators to note that air-to-ground visibility may be considerably reduced due to dust haze; aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed operating minima and in severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers and airfield lightings over wide areas making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible and that flights are bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima.
On the other hand, the regulatory agency advised pilots, operators and air traffic controllers to ensure that pilots shall exercise maximum restraint when severe weather condition is observed or forecast by Nimet; flight crews/operators and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) shall ensure adherence to aerodrome weather minima; all pilots shall obtain adequate departure, en-route, destination and alternate aerodromes weather information and briefing from the aerodrome meteorological office prior to flight operations; and that operators shall ensure that necessary measures are put in place to cushion the effects of flight delays or cancellations on their passengers.
Flights Delays, Cancellation As By-Product of Bad Weather
Climate change has a very huge impact in all modes of transportation. In the United States, for example, transportation systems are designed to withstand local weather and climate. Transportation engineers typically refer to historical records of climate, especially extreme weather events, when designing transportation systems. When this factor is not put into consideration, these changes could increase the risk of delays, disruptions, damage, and failure across our land-based, air, and marine transportation systems.
According to the 4th National Climate Assessment Volume II: “Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States” climate change is also projected to increase the frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events including heat waves, flood, fire, sea level rise and storm surges and more intense precipitation.
The report further added that these will increase the risk of disruptions, delays, damage and failure across land, air and marine based transportation systems.
Also piqued by the recent level of cancellations, delays due to weather, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has noted, with great concern, the experiences of air travellers to and from the Murtala Muhammed International airport Lagos regarding flight diversions and, in many cases, outright cancellations, which have been occasioned by highly inclement weather conditions.
Sirika who attributed the difficulty in landing at MMIA to unforeseen weather conditions in an official statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry, James Odaudu, Director, Public Affairs, stated that diversion of incoming international flights to neighboring countries are purely decisions of the airlines which the ministry has no control over.
Ironically, weather related disruptions in the home countries of airlines diverting flights from Lagos airports to other countries are nothing to write home about. For example, thousands of holidaymakers recently faced days of travel chaos as more flights were delayed due to Storm Dennis. In a Nail-biting video footage shown recently, it was gathered that several planes were struggling to land at Heathrow as they push against the stormy conditions and strong winds.
As at last week, around 170 flights were cancelled across the UK affecting 25,000 passengers, with Heathrow and Gatwick being the most hard-hit airports. EasyJet, on its own part has cancelled about 118 flights, while British Airways has axed around 50
Experts Blame Disruptions On Weather
Although, this is the first time Nigeria shall be enjoying Cat 3 ILS, but from all indications and judging from experts’ views, the recent diversion of flights coming to MMIA has to do with weather related issues.
Commenting on the issue, Chairman Board of Trustees, Capt Dele Ore said “harmattan haze is the Northeast trade wind that blows between November and March every year. It will come again next year but when it mixes with ITZ makes it possible to land in Cotonou, Lome or Accra but not Lagos
Capt Ore said, if the US and the Europeans airlines are smart enough to have winter schedules and summer schedules, what is wrong with harmattan schedule during which time you are able to land and when the sun goes down and the dust settles and light from the ground allows landing between 8pm and midnight
The aviation expert queried the Consumer Protection Department of the NCAA on what they have been doing when these passengers are not well-treated, adding that “flight diversion have been airlines decision”.
For CAT 3 ILS to function in Lagos and Abuja, Ore explained that ground equipment and flight be calibrated while something should be done to address the problems of regular and safe power source with adequate backup.
Corroborating Capt Ore, Sirika had equally reiterated that the diversion of incoming international flights to neighbouring countries are purely the decision of the airlines, advising that flights could, and should have been rerouted to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja which is shorter or equidistant from Lagos to the foreign airports to which some of the flights have been diverted.
“In recognition of Abuja as an alternate airport, Qatar airlines has applied to divert its flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, to which the Minister granted immediate approval. It is left to be seen why some others decided to divert to another country”, the Minister informed.
Also speaking, Secretary general of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, attributed flight diversions to neighboring countries to weather related hitches.