Lagos, May 8, 2019 (NAN) The Federal Government’s technology and facility upgrade has helped to improve air travel safety in Nigeria to global standards, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has said.
Mrs Therese Iheanacho, who is the General Manager, Workshop Planning and Logistics, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, stated this in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Wednesday, said this at a public lecture and induction of new members of NSE, Apapa branch.
Iheanacho, who was guest speaker at the lecture, said that safety was a “watch word” in the aviation industry.
She likened being in an aircraft to being locked in a refrigerator and flown from take off to landing, hence, the need for efficiency of the Communication Navigational Surveillance (CNS) equipment needed to achieve precision.
Speaking on the topic, “Safety in Aviation Industry-Dealing with Engineering Challenges, Human Errors and Environmental Factors”, she listed stress, inadequate training, poor renumeration, flooded runways, weather, wind shear, and dust in equipment, among others as factors responsible for the human and environmental challenges in the industry.
The aviation expert said that the industry required the expertise of engineers, who should use the navigational aids to ensure safety and efficiency.
Iheanacho explained that the present government had replaced obsolete equipment, increased welfare of aviation workers, and embarked on continuous training for efficiency, saying: “this has improved safety in the aviation industry.
“The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) says Nigerian airspace is safe.
“so, it is safe.”
She said that the CNS was being powered by solar energy to ensure uninterruptible power supply and assured travelers that the Nigerian airspace was safe and offered the safest and fastest transportation services.
She explained that although standards were being upheld, ensuring safety was the responsibility of everyone in the industry from the passengers, to workers on the ground, cabin crew, and engineers.
Mrs Therese Iheanacho, General Manager, Workshop Planning and Logistics, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency during a public lecture organised by Nigerian Society of Engineers on Wednesday in Lagos
Iheanacho said that available statistics showed that aviation accidents from 2012 to 2016 had been on the decline because of the use of navigational aids which made flight operations safer and better.
She said that engineering was the bedrock of the aviation industry as everything – from plane design to various flight stages – was controlled by engineers and engineering.
Iheanacho, “If the airspace is not safe, how do you carry the people and goods.”
President of the NSE, Mr Adekunle Mokuolu, represented by Mr Akintayo Akintola, immediate past chairman of the Ikeja branch of the society, while delivering his speech, said that safe transportation was a priority of the association.
“The essence of the NSE is to make our society a better place to live and hence the need for this lecture,” Mokuolu said.
Mokuolu congratulated the 10 new inductees who he said were going to make a difference by their contributions to national growth.
In his welcome address, Mr Sunny Ejeje, Chairman, Apapa branch of NSE, had said that the choice of the topic was to cover another major aspect as transportation having dealt with other modes in previous programmes.
“Aviation industry is something that has been disturbing us in our branch and we felt there is need to deal with the human errors and environmental challenges to technology in the industry,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some deserving engineers were given various awards in recognition of their contributions to the growth of the society and the country. (NAN)
