By Seun Ibiyemi
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has led a high-profile delegation on an inspection tour to Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, as part of efforts to advance the ongoing Abuja Airport second runway project.
This disclosure is contained in a statement released on Wednesday by Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser to Festus Keyamo on Media.
The delegation, which included key figures such as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Faruk Ahmed Umar, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof. Charles Anosike, visited Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, where they conducted critical factory inspections and held familiarisation meetings with two leading aviation infrastructure equipment manufacturers, Vaisala and Frequentis AG.
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 familiarisation 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.
The statement further noted that Keyamo emphasised 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 specialisations.
These specialisations included Automatic Weather Observing Systems (AWOS), Runway Visual Range (RVR), Windshear Alert Systems, Weather Radar Integration, Lightning Information Integration, and Runway Management.
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 synchronising 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.