Why CAT3 ILS is big deal for flight operations

If the plan by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to install Category 3 (CAT3) Instrument Landing System (ILS) in Lagos and Abuja airports by December, 2019, comes to fruition, it is expected to provide relief to members of the flying public as it has great capacity to reduce flight delays and cancellations.

The CAT3 ILS enables aircraft to land at much more reduced visibility compared to the current CAT2 at the airports. Most international airports in the US, UK and other parts of Europe are equipped with CAT3 ILS.

At least over 50 per cent of domestic flights are delayed on a yearly basis mostly due to poor visibility.

Our correspondent reports that NAMA, on

Monday, commenced the trial run of the newly installed CAT3 ILS at Runway 18 Right of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The exercise, the agency said, indicated that the equipment was fully operational on test basis, even as all ILS components: localiser, glide slope and distance measuring equipment, were propagating signals optimally.

The Managing Director (MD) of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said according to the timelines, CAT 2 ILS would be available at both Lagos and Abuja airports by the third week of December, 2019.

Capt. Akinkuotu said, “In a couple of weeks, we will bring a calibration aircraft to fly in and certify that the equipment is good to go.”

The MD added that the alignment of the facility had already been done by engineers to ensure that the equipment aligned with the centre line of the runway.

Akinkuotu said deployment of the improving landing system was in response to the demands by airlines for better navigational facilities in Nigeria.

While airlines welcome NAMA’s move, they say it is not going to be a oneoff thing as there are other infrastructure like airfield and runway lighting which should be improved upon to complement CAT3 ILS.

The Accountable Manager of Dana Airlines, Obi Mbanuzo, said CAT3 ILS was just one part of a whole gamut of things to be put in place, and that it was a welcome development as it allowed aircraft to land at zero visibility.