FG Commissions Wind-Shear Alert System

The federal government has promised to install low level wind-shear alert system in all airports across the country as part of efforts to ensure the safety of air travelers.

According to Channels Television, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made this promise at the commissioning ceremony of the facility at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport in Katsina.

He said that the government is also addressing the issue of instrument landing system and other navigational aids at the various airports as part of efforts to improve

safety.

“Aviation safety and security are top priority issues for this government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said, adding that the recent installations by NIMET in 13 airports in the country are in consonance with the government’s policies.

He re-affirmed the government’s resolve to pursue its policy of safety at all times through regular maintenance of airports and all facilities that will aid smooth air operations.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforom, explained the reason for the installation of the wind-shear alert system in the Katsina airport.

“The wind-shear alert system we have installed at this airport has the capacity to detect cam wind, steady winds, wind shifts in relation to the runway, wind bursts, sustained divergent winds – which indicates wind-share or strong and sustained divergent winds which indicate micro-bursts around the airport,” he said.

Wind-shear, according to NIMET, was first identified in Nigeria in June 1956 when an aircraft taking off from Kano encountered it and crashed with 32 fatalities.