Safe, Efficient Air Navigation: NAAE Bemoans Challenges

The National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) says, despite numerous challenges in carrying out its duties, the association has worked so hard at all times to achieve safe and efficient air navigation.

The National President of NAAE, Engr Ishaya Dung, in an interview on the preparation for NAAE’s national conference in Abuja, explained, that dearth of dedicated operational vehicles,

unreliable medical care due to inefficient take off of the NHIS scheme, non-conveyance and implementation of the reviewed conditions of service have remained their greatest challenges.

According to Dung, personnel licensing of members of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP) was ongoing at an encouraging pace stressing that very soon the backlog of engineers waiting to be trained and licensed as ATSEPs will be cleared and called for a review of ATSEP’s professional allowances.

“We are also faced with challenges in terms of running cost and logistics because of the high cost of travel (particularly air travel) which limits our level of in-person participation in industry-based activities”.

At the association’s forthcoming conference in Abuja with its theme “The Dynamics of Emerging Technologies and the role of ATSEPs in the safety of air navigation infrastructures”, Dung explained that the topic aimed at stimulating awareness among all stakeholders to keep pace with the advancement in CNS/ATM technology which was becoming more and more digital and interoperable.

Dung said dignitaries expected at the event are the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Sen Hadi Sirika, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, the National assembly aviation committee members, and the aviation parastatals CEOs, among others.