Achebe Airport calibrates newly installed instrument landing system

The newly installed instrument landing system at the Chinua Achebe Airport, Umueri in Anambra, State has been calibrated.

Martins Nwafor, managing director of the airport, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent in Umueri, near Onitsha.

Nwafor said the instrument landing system has three parts, which include the localiser, the glide path and range marks and with these in place, accurate assessment of the terrain is assured. According to him, Instrument Landing System is installed and it is Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range.

“It is a humming information facility for aircraft that is collocated with a distance measuring equipment.

“The equipment has been deliberated and the calibration ensures that they are functioning appropriately and meets the accuracy standards.

“Once you have it, it means that you can operate with instrument and instrument means that you can fly under the weather that is below visual flight routes, which is sunrise and sunset,” he said.

Nwafor said he was still basking in the euphoria of the airport’s two years anniversary with increased traffic and introduction of airbuses by airline operators.

He thanked Governor Chukwuma Soludo for linking part of the airport to public power supply and saving it from high dependent on generators for powering the control tower, forestation and water station, which operated from morning to night.

“Currently, we are having increased traffic, Airspace has increased frequency and and United Nigeria has added Airbus 320 for the first time and it was welcomed with water cannon.

“Governor Chukwuma Soludo will conduct the marking of the two-year anniversary himself, he will also unveil the new name and lay the foundation for an eatery that an investor has chosen to develop.

“I want to thank Mr. Governor and Commissioners for Transport and Works for their attention and intervention all along,” he said.

The managing director said in spite the success story, the airport also had challenges that required urgent attention including floodlight and erosion.

According to him, we need to reinstall the runway light and apron light. They used to be there but the cables were tampered.

“Mr. Governor has approved that we should acquire some of those missing parts and get them fixed back.

“Another challenge we have here is erosion, which is threatening a part of our fence. As a matter of fact, the fence at the 06 area is caving in.

“It is important that we address that in order not to open ourselves to external environments.

“Erosion is not a good friend of anybody, it keeps eating the ground until it gets to where people settle, in the airport, the runway is the most crucial part of every airport,” he said.