With Effective Communication, NAMA May Generate $1bn Annually from Over-flier Charges Chinedu Eze As air travel returns to normal after the COVID-19 economic devastation, which constricted international flight operations, there are ind
As air travel returns to normal after the COVID-19 economic devastation, which constricted international flight operations, there are indications that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency may generate about $1 billion annually from over-fliers charges, with increase in traffic of flights across Nigeria’s airspace.
The charges paid by the airlines are collected for NAMA by the International Air Transport Association , but for Nigeria to render the service through its air traffic controllers, Nigeria’s upper airspace, where these flights pass through, must have effective communication between the pilots operating the flights and air traffic controllers, according to analysts’ views. Nigeria’s airspace is known as Kano Flight Information Region.
Pwajok explained that the new communication equipment installed to enhance communication in the airspace has significantly improved ground to air, and air to air communication. “We leverage on that to implement what we call the Free Routing Airspace, which is providing or availing aircraft with capability to fly any point to any point at wind advantage. Normally, when an aircraft is flying with a five nautical tail wind; that means the speed of the aircraft is being increased by five nautical miles per hour. And that goes a long way over the entire route to lead to improvement to shorter flight time.
According to him, NAMA has projected expectation of more income since the agency had an assurance that more flights would be passing through the airspace to other international destination.