NCAA alerts pilots, operators on bad weather

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has alerted pilots and airline operators to take extreme caution over the current hazardous…

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has alerted pilots and airline operators to take extreme caution over the current hazardous weather which tends to affect smooth flight operations.

In its Aviation Weather Advisory Circular to pilots and airline operators, the authority said pilots should expect severe dust and harmattan haze as predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

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The Director General of (DG) of NCAA, Capt Musa Nuhu, who signed the circular, disclosed that the hazy weather would persist till March 22.

During the season, the DG explained that pilots and operators should expect “moderate to severe dust haze, early morning fog especially along the coastal areas, which in some instances can reduce horizontal visibility to less than 200 metres during the period of November, 2021, to March, 2022.”

He further said there would be air-to-ground visibility reduction due to dust haze or fog while aerodrome visibility might fall below the prescribed operating minima.

He added that, “In severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runways, markers and airfield lighting over wide areas, making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible.”

The DG while explaining the effects on aircraft operations said, “Flights are bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima.”

He, therefore, advised on strict adherence to published aerodrome weather minima by flight crews/operators and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).