FG upgrades search and rescue equipment across airports

Barely 48 hours before the much anticipated recommencement of flight operations across Nigeria, the Federal government said it has procured sophisticated search and rescue equipment to boost the country’s aeronautical search and rescue capability across the Nigerian airspace.

The equipment, according to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are already being distributed among the nation’s Rescue Coordination Centers (Lagos and Kano) and Rescue Subcenters (Abuja, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Enugu, Ilorin and Sokoto) include plotting facilities, communication facilities, medical supplies and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) documents among others.

The plotting equipment include workstations (for digital plotting) and topographical maps for manual plotting), Communication equipment include very high frequency (VHF) radios, high frequency (HF) radios, megaphones as well as Search and Rescue dedicated satellite telephones which can work outside a network area.

Also, the ICAO documents include IAMSAR Manual Volume 1,2 and 3 as well as Annex 12 Search and Rescue Preparation Manual.  Other items procured include multifunctional photocopiers, laptops, printers, professional torchlights, status boards, computer desktops and personal locator beacons.

Managing Director of NAMA Capt. Fola Akinkuotu said the agency took steps to procure the equipment in order to enhance its preparedness and efficiency in Search and Rescue coordination in the event of any occurrence, especially given that the airports were about to be reopened to commercial activities.

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