NCAA issues hazardous weather advisory to pilots, operators

By Sade Williams/business a.m.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has advised pilots and airline operators to exercise caution over aviation hazardous weather in the rainy season.

In an advisory circular referenced, No. AC: NCAA-AEROMET–33, initiated by the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), and addressed to all pilots and airline operators signed by Musa Nuhu, director general, NCAA, the authority said the rainy season, at outset, is usually characterised by severe thunderstorms and many other hazardous weather phenomena, such as severe turbulence, microburst, low level wind shear events that could affect the safety of flight operations.

The advisory comes on the heels of the seasonal climate prediction (SCP) released for 2022 by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

NiMET has predicted early to late March as the commencement of the rainy season across the southern states, while April/May and June, 2022 are the onset of the rainy season in central and northern parts of Nigeria.

The NCAA noted that the rainy season, at outset, is usually characterised by severe thunderstorms and many other hazardous weather phenomena, such as severe turbulence, microburst, low level wind shear events that could affect the safety of flight operations.

It urged all stakeholders to perform their roles as outlined in the advisory as follows:

Air Traffic Controller:

i. Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) may temporarily close the airspace when hazardous weather conditions such as severe thunderstorm, squall lines, microburst or level wind-shear are forecast by NiMET.

Pilots and Flight Crew/operators:

i. Flight crews/operators and ATCs shall ensure strict adherence to aerodrome operating minima.

ii. Pilots shall exercise maximum restraint whenever adverse weather is observed or forecast by NiMET.

iii. Pilots and flight crew members shall obtain adequate departure, en-route and destination weather information and briefing from NiMET aerodrome meteorological stations prior to flight operations.

In view of the above, operators are required to play a key role in ensuring adequate measures are put in place to lessen the effects of the attendant flight delays and cancellations on their passengers, occasioned by hazardous severe weather during the rainy season, in accordance with Nig. CARs, Part 19.

The NCAA advised passengers to exercise patience and understanding during this period, noting that their safety is of utmost importance, and that stakeholders should ensure strict compliance with safety regulations as violations would be viewed seriously.