The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has embarked on a significant European tour, leading a high-profile delegation to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria. The mission’s objective is to secure advanced aviation equipment and forge strategic partnerships crucial to the ongoing construction of a second runway at Abuja Airport and the enhancement of other key aviation infrastructure in Nigeria.
The delegation included prominent figures from Nigeria’s aviation sector, such as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar; the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof. Charles Anosike; and the Director of Engineering at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr. Abiola Adejare.
This visit was facilitated by the Managing Director of Avsatel, Georg Eder MBA, and his deputy, Engr. Abdullahi Bayi, along with the Chief Consultant on Airfield Lighting (AFL), NavAids, Communications, and Meteorology for KEFE Engineering Limited, Engr. Mohammed Sodiq.
The first leg of the tour took the Nigerian delegation to Helsinki, Finland, where they conducted a thorough inspection of the weather radar system at Helsinki Airport. This was followed by a comprehensive meeting with the senior management of Vaisala OYJ, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of meteorological equipment.
During their visit to Vaisala, the delegation received an in-depth briefing on the company’s expertise in Automatic Weather Observing Systems (AWOS), Runway Visual Range (RVR) systems, Windshear Alert Systems, Weather Radar Integration, Lightning Information Integration, and Runway Management solutions. A guided tour of the meteorological equipment at Helsinki Airport provided the delegation with valuable insights into the cutting-edge technology and operational efficiency of Vaisala’s systems.
The second leg of the tour took the delegation to Vienna, Austria, where they engaged with the management team of Frequentis AG, a global leader in voice communication and control systems for air traffic management. Dr. Bernd Novak, Vice President and Head of Global Sales Group for Frequentis AG, presented an overview of their state-of-the-art Voice Communications Switch technology.
Following this presentation, NAMA’s MD, Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar, and NiMET’s DG, Prof. Charles Anosike, discussed the importance of synchronizing weather and radar applications on a unified software platform. This integration is expected to significantly enhance the safety and operational effectiveness of air traffic management and weather forecasting in Nigeria.
Reflecting on the visit, Minister Festus Keyamo emphasized the critical importance of these partnerships, 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.”
