The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Wednesday commissioned a flight data center at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Head Office in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Minister said, “This initiative speaks to the fact that we are focusing on improving safety within the aviation sector.”
“What we just commissioned here today is a flight data center that not only works in relation to incidents but can also track flight patterns and monitor various human and mechanical efforts during a flight.”
He explained that the flight data center represents the government’s move from analog systems to a more digital and modern approach, aimed at enhancing safety in the aviation sector.
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In his welcome address, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, said, “Annex 19 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation mandates all states to establish safety data collection and processing systems (SDCPS) to capture, store, aggregate, and enable the analysis of safety data and safety information. This is a hallmark of an effective State Safety Programme (SSP).”
“To ensure that Nigeria, as an ICAO Contracting State, fulfills this obligation, the NCAA collaborated with APS Aerospace Corporation. APS has over 100 years of combined experience in Flight Data and Cockpit/ATC Audio Analysis.”
“Flight Data Analysis or Monitoring Systems involves the systematic collection, processing, and evaluation of flight data from aircraft to identify trends, anomalies, or safety issues. These systems are integral to modern aviation safety management systems (SMS).”
He further explained that the key components of the center include data acquisition, which involves gathering flight parameters from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or Quick Access Recorder (QAR), and data processing, which uses software to analyze recorded flight data and compare it to set benchmarks.
The system also detects events by identifying deviations, trends, or unusual events during flight operations, and there is a feedback loop that shares findings with airlines, pilots, and regulatory authorities for corrective actions.
Najomo stated that some key benefits of the Flight Data Center for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority include enhanced safety oversight, which will help the NCAA proactively detect potential safety risks.
“It will also enable data-driven decision-making to prevent serious incidents and accidents, support the implementation of risk-based oversight through the efficient allocation of resources to areas of higher risk, and align the NCAA with global best practices, boosting international confidence in Nigerian aviation safety standards,” he stated.
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