By Sade Williams
MEMBERS OF THE AERONAUTICAL Information Management Association of Nigeria (AIMAN) have decried the non-implementation of Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) automation, ten years after conception.
In a statement signed by Williams Ngerem, the president of AIMAN, and made available to the media heralding this year’s AIS celebration, he said the AIS automaton remained critical in the overall regularity and reliability of aeronautical data globally He said it is disheartening to note that for over 10 years since its inception that the much talked about AIS Automation was yet to come on stream, having suffered several stillbirths.
“Without prejudice to current efforts by the federal government to realize this laudable dream, it is pertinent to note that Nigeria as the African giant cannot continue to lag behind when several African countries have embraced automation in aeronautical information dissemination,” he said.
He enjoined NAMA management to liaise with relreflects evant organizations to see to the final attainment of AIM in Nigeria at the shortest possible time, saying, “I also charge the federal government to accelerate the implementation of the AIM project so that Nigeria can take its rightful position in the comity of nations”.
While thanking the executive council of AIMAN for their hard work and determination to take the association to enviable heights and for a successful one year in office, Ngerem acknowledge the immense cooperation and support of all its members nationwide.
The theme of this year’s AIS day is ‘The Benefits of Automation to Aeronautical Information Management’ and will be held under the chairmanship of Ado Sanusi, the managing director/chief executive, Aero Contractors.
AIMAN, an affiliate of the International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management Association (IFAIMA) with its members mainly in Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Nigerian College of Aviation technology (NCAT) – is the body that collects, collates, processes and disseminates aeronautical information necessary for the safety, regularity and efficiency of air navigation for the use of aviation stakeholders and the public that are particularly interested in aviation matters.
AIS is domiciled on Annex 15 to the ICAO Convention on International Civil Aviation. The service was created on 15th May, 1953 as an array of services rendered to Pilots and other relevant ATM communities, such as Air Traffic Control, Air Traffic Engineers, Aerodrome Operators, Military, Civil Aviation Authority, Meteorology etc.
The World AIS Day celebration is an annual event observed by all contracting states in accordance with the declaration by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to facilitate better professional practices and enlightening the public on the importance of aeronautical information services as a safety critical profession in the aviation industry.
