The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has conducted validation flights on instrument flight procedures in international airports across the country.

This is contained in a statement issued by Tayib Odunowo, NAMA managing director, on Sunday.

Mr Odunowo said the exercise was conducted ahead of the International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) expected to begin at the end of the month.

He said the agency also calibrated navigational aids at airports in the country while newly installed ones has been commissioned at the Maiduguri and Minna airports.

Mr Odunowo noted that required documents such as aeronautical information publications (AIP), operation manuals, memorandum of understanding with other agencies including has been reviewed and forwarded to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for approval.

The NAMA boss expressed satisfaction with the preparedness and compliance level of the agency. He also noted that critical manpower was boosted at major airports across the country.

The NAMA managing director also inspected the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) sites, control towers, mobile control towers, Air Traffic Control III-D Tower Simulator at Centrex Lagos and administrative offices.

The ICAO USOAP was established in 1999 to promote global aviation safety through regular audits of ICAO member states to determine their ability to maintain effectively their safety oversight systems.

The programme is managed by the monitoring and oversight office within the Air Navigation Bureau. The objective of USOAP is to promote global aviation safety.

It does this by auditing contracting states, on a regular basis, to determine the states’ capability for safety oversight.

(NAN)