NAMA Removes Faulty CAT III ILS At Lagos Airport Over Safety Concerns

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has deactivated and removed a Category III Instrument Landing System (CAT III ILS) installed at the Lagos airport following repeated failures and concerns over its reliability and safety.

NAMA’s Director of Safety, Electronic and Engineering Services, Teresa Ihenachor, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Lagos over the weekend.

Ihenachor was responding to questions concerning two CAT III ILS systems reportedly acquired for the Lagos and Abuja airports at a combined cost of about N7.58 billion.

She explained that the Lagos equipment had developed a persistent pattern of faults despite several repair attempts and efforts to downgrade its operation to Category II.

According to her, the system had a history of unserviceability before she assumed office and was repaired more than seven times within a relatively short period after she took over. However, the equipment continued to develop faults, making its continued use unacceptable.

She said the challenges went beyond the ILS itself, stressing that CAT III operations required adequate supporting infrastructure and appropriate environmental and operational conditions.

Ihenachor particularly pointed to the airfield lighting system at the Lagos airport, which she said was at Category I level, while some associated systems had been downgraded to Category II. Consequently, the CAT III ILS installed at the airport was being operated at Category II level.

She said the equipment was also highly sensitive to environmental conditions and generated unreliable readings.

“ We did not abandon anything. It was removed for safety. The ILS, CAT III, Nigeria does not have requirement for it. Even with the down-gradation to CAT II, it was not functioning optimally,” she said.

Following the removal, NAMA obtained approval from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to deploy another ILS to Lagos.

Ihenachor identified the replacement system as a NOMAC CAT II ILS, which she said had remained functional and offered a more reliable navigation aid for flight operations at the airport.

She added that NAMA had also tackled power supply challenges affecting the replacement equipment by installing a solar power solution.

On the CAT III ILS installed at the Abuja airport, the director said the equipment had similarly been downgraded to CAT II because the airport lacked all the infrastructure required to support CAT III operations.

She said the agency was considering relocating the Abuja equipment to another airport where it could be used more effectively and where the required infrastructure and operational conditions were available.

Calabar, she noted, was among the airports being considered as a possible destination for one of the systems.

Ihenachor further disclosed that her predecessor had reportedly provided professional advice concerning the procurement of the equipment, but the advice was not followed.

She emphasised that navigation equipment must be compatible with the environmental conditions and supporting infrastructure of the airport where it is installed.

According to her, CAT III operations require several critical components, including appropriate airfield lighting, suitable frequencies and a dependable power supply.

While NAMA is responsible for the ILS and had addressed the power-related challenges, she noted that the provision and management of airfield lighting falls outside the agency’s control.