- As 29th IFATCA Meeting Opens In Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed willingness to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the aviation industry in a bid to ensure the continuous safety and seamlessness of air navigation in the country. The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika reveals this recently at the 29th International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Association (IFATCA) Africa and Middle East Regional Meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.
The Minister says the Nigerian government is ready to partner with the international body of air traffic controllers in a bid to ensure safe skies both in Nigeria and globally “given that the job of an air traffic controller is both crucial and critical to the overall safety of air travel.”
Sen. Sirika notes that there have been deliberate and aggressive efforts by government in the area of operational manpower training and retraining to ensure that air traffic controllers are continually efficient on the job.
The Aviation Minister assures the delegates that the federal government would implement the outcome of their deliberations as “IFATCA remains a critical stakeholder in the global aviation family.”
Mr. Patrick Peters, IFATCA President notes that as a global body, the association acts as a think-tank to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) by providing invaluable recommendations to the body from the rich expertise of its members. He charges air traffic controllers to strive for excellence in order to make the profession contribute more meaningfully to the growth of the industry.
Mr. Victor Eyaru, President of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) says the gathering would “focus mainly on intensifying efforts to achieving unbroken air safety within our region and beyond and this requires the collaborative effort across the borders to ensure seamless, safe and efficient air navigation.”