Bisola David
Pilots and airline operators have been cautioned by the Federal Government on Thursday through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority of hazardous weather conditions during the dry season.
According to The PUNCH, the statement revealed that flights where terminal visibility falls below the specified aerodrome operating minima will inevitably be delayed, redirected, or cancelled.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued a release warning the public about the risk of a decline in visibility due to detected dust haze that has spread into Nigeria from its source location, which included a warning of hazardous weather, according to the regulator.
In a statement, it listed the consequences of this meteorological situation on flight operations, noting that haze would reduce air-to-ground visibility reduction due to haze dust or fog.
“In severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers, and airfield lightings over wide areas, making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible.
“Additionally, when terminal visibility drops below the authorized airport operating minima, planes are certain to be delayed, diverted, or cancelled. Because of the aforementioned, all pilots, operators, and air traffic controllers must follow these safety guidelines,” according to the organization.
It highlighted the safety standards, which included air traffic controllers closing the airspace when any of the above-mentioned conditions were seen or predicted by NIMET.
“Air traffic controllers and flight crews must strictly adhere to the established airport weather minima.
“Prior to flight operations, pilots and flight crew members must get sufficient weather information and briefings from NIMET airport meteorological offices and stations for the departure, en route, and destination. They must also take the utmost caution whenever inclement weather is noticed.
“In a statement signed by Director-General Musa Nuhu, NCAA said, “And operators shall ensure that all necessary measures are put in place to cushion the effects of delay or cancellations on their passengers.”
It added that airline operators and other stakeholders were advised to use weather reports for effective planning in their operations, as violations would be taken seriously, and that all passengers should show patience and understanding during this time as their safety was of the utmost importance.
The authority also noted that “winds over 10m and 925hPha are favourable for dust-haze propagations into the Northern parts of the country,” as stated by NIMET in a release.
It explained that, according to available models, these sources from Chad were projected to report poor horizontal visibility during the following twenty-four hours.
According to the agency, strong winds were forecast to cause the dust in suspension to spread to many Northern states, significantly reducing horizontal visibility, particularly over Katsina, Kano, Nguru, Jigawa, Potiskum, and Maiduguri during the course of the next 24 hours.
According to the statement, the information was sent to pilots in order to warn them of the types of weather that can occur during Nigeria’s dry season, including light to severe dust clouds and fog in the mornings, which can occasionally cause horizontal vision to drop below the minimum required by the aerodrome.
In order to avoid needless aircraft delays, the agency advised the general public to “take necessary precautions during this time in the planning of their trips.”
