In an attempt to further the ongoing project to expand the runway at Abuja Airport, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has led a distinguished team on an inspection mission to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria.
The Special Advisor to Festus Keyamo on Media, Tunde Moshood, made this revelation in a statement that was made public on Wednesday.
The delegation, which included important individuals like Prof. Charles Anosike, the director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), and Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar, the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), visited Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, where they held familiarization meetings and crucial factory inspections with Vaisala and Frequentis AG, two of the top manufacturers of aviation infrastructure equipment.
These visits were aimed at ensuring the supply of state-of-the-art infrastructural equipment necessary for the successful completion of the Abuja Airport’s second runway.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN CON FCIarb (UK), led a high-profile delegation to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, for critical factory inspections and familiarization meetings with two of the world’s leading aviation infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG for the supply of infrastructural equipment for the construction of the on-going Abuja Airport second runway,” the statement read in part.
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The statement further noted that Keyamo emphasized that the visits to Helsinki and Vienna are vital for integrating advanced technologies into Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, highlighting partnerships with industry leaders like Vaisala and Frequentis AG as key to the success of projects like the Abuja Airport’s second runway.
According to the statement, the delegation’s first stop was in Helsinki, Finland, where they inspected the weather radar at Helsinki Airport. This visit was followed by a comprehensive meeting with the management of Vaisala OYJ, the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of meteorological equipment.
The Nigerian delegation, received by Vaisala’s Mauri Vapola, Application Manager; Juha Salmivaara, R&D Manager; and Kimmo Rustolainen, Director for MEA for Central Asia and Ukraine, was provided with an in-depth overview of the company’s core specializations.
These specializations included Automatic Weather Observing Systems (AWOS), Runway Visual Range (RVR), Windshear Alert Systems, Weather Radar Integration, Lightning Information Integration, and Runway Management.
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The delegation also toured the meteorological equipment at Helsinki Airport, gaining valuable insights into the operational efficiency and technological advancements of these systems.
Following the Helsinki visit, the delegation proceeded to Vienna, Austria, where they met with the management of Frequentis AG, a global leader in voice communication and control systems for air traffic management.
During this visit, 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.
Further discussions led by Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar, Managing Director of NAMA, and Prof. Charles Anosike, Director-General of NiMET, focused on the importance of synchronizing weather and radar applications on a unified software platform to enhance safety and operational effectiveness. This collaborative approach is expected to significantly improve air traffic management and weather forecasting in Nigeria.
