Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has inaugurated flight data centre (FDC) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Keyamo at the inauguration on Wednesday in Abuja said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is focused on modernising key sectors by transitioning from analog to digital systems to boost efficiency and service delivery.
Keyamo said the FDC would enable NCAA to regulate the aviation industry more effectively by enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving customer experience.
He said, “One of our five-point agenda is to improve safety within the sector. This initiative directly contributes to that goal.”
The minister noted that the FDC is not only designed for responding to incidents but also for routine monitoring of flight patterns, human errors, and mechanical issues.
Acting director-general (DG) of NCAA, Chris Najomo said the FDC is a critical component of modern aviation, responsible for collecting, processing, and analysing vast amounts of flight data.
Najomo highlighted the centre’s core functions include data acquisition, processing, event detection, and a feedback loop.
The DG said the FDC would align Nigeria’s aviation safety standards with global best practices, enhancing international confidence in the local industry.
He said, “As an ICAO contracting state, Nigeria is obligated to ensure the highest safety standards, and the NCAA’s collaboration with APS Aerospace Corporation supports this effort.”
Keyamo noted that the APS Aerospace, with over 100 years of combined experience in flight data and cockpit/ATC audio analysis, partnered with NCAA to train selected staff in flight data analysis (FDA) and flight data monitoring (FDM) systems.
Najomo also noted that the systems systematically collect, process, and evaluate flight data to identify trends, anomalies, or safety issues, which are crucial for modern aviation safety management practices.
