The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a weather advisory circular to airlines operating in the country to expect severe dust haze and early morning fog which in some cases can reduce horizontal visibility to less than 200 meters between now and March 2022.
In a circular personally issued and signed by the director-general of the NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu and sent to all pilots and airlines titled: ‘Aviation Hazardous Weather in Dry Season’, referred to the prediction earlier made by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on rainfall cessation in October in the extreme Northern part of the country, November around the Middle Belt and late November/December in the Southern part of the country.
NCAA in the latest circular has therefore, alerted airlines and pilots of some of the weather implications that may come with the severe weather to include: air-to-ground visibility reduction due to dust haze or fog.
“Also, aerodrome visibility may fall below the prescribed operating minima and in severe conditions, dust haze can blot out runway, markers and airfield lightings over wide areas making visual navigation extremely difficult or impossible.”
Identifying the subsequent effect of such bad weather on aircraft operations, the regulatory agency alerted that flights were bound to be delayed, diverted or cancelled where terminal visibility falls below the prescribed aerodrome operating minima while it added that Air Traffic Controllers have the mandate to order the closure of the airspace when any of the bad conditions are observed or forecast by NIMET.
NCAA therefore, called on airlines and pilots to adhere strictly to published aerodrome weather minima by flight crew/operators and air traffic controllers just as pilots/flight crew members have been advised to obtain adequate departure, en route and destination weather information and briefing from NIMET aerodrome meteorological offices and stations prior to flight operations and exercise maximum restraint whenever adverse weather is observed.
Airline operators have been equally urged to put in place necessary measures that will cushion the effects of flight delays and cancellations or passengers.
