Govt meets foreign equipment manufacturers for second Abuja runway

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a delegation to Finland and Austria to inspect factories and meet with aviation equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG, to secure supplies for the Abuja second runway project.

The Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

He said the visit focused on critical factory inspections and meetings with leading aviation infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG.

He said the delegation had key figures such as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Faruk Umar; Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Charles Anosike; and Director of Engineering at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Abiola Adejare.

The visit was initiated by Avsatel’s Managing Director, Georg Eder, along with his deputy, Abdullahi Bayi, and the project’s Chief Consultant on Airfield Lighting, NavAids, Communications, and Meteorology, Mohammed Sodiq.

The first stop for the Nigerian delegation was in Helsinki, Finland, where they inspected the weather radar at Helsinki Airport.

This was followed by a comprehensive meeting with the management and a visit to the manufacturing plant of Vaisala OYJ, the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of meteorological equipment.

The visit included an overview of Vaisala’s core specialisations, such as Automatic Weather Observing Systems, Runway Visual Range, Windshear Alert Systems, and Runway Management.

The delegation also toured the meteorological equipment at Helsinki Airport, gaining valuable insights into the technological advancements of the equipment.

Following their visit to Finland, the delegation traveled to Vienna, Austria, where they met with the management and visited the manufacturing plant of Frequentis AG, a global leader in voice communication and control systems for air traffic management.

Dr Bernd Novak, Vice President and Head of the Global Sales Group for Frequentis AG, provided an overview of their state-of-the-art Voice Communications Switch, according to the statement.

Following the presentation, Umar and Anosike emphasized the importance of synchronizing weather and radar applications on the same software platform to enhance safety and operational effectiveness.

This collaboration is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of air traffic management and weather forecasting in Nigeria.

Keyamo highlighted the significance of the visit, stating, “This visit is a crucial step in ensuring that our aviation infrastructure is equipped with the latest technologies to enhance safety and efficiency.

“The partnerships we are forging with industry leaders like Vaisala and Frequentis AG are vital for the successful implementation of our projects, such as the Abuja second runway.”