The NCAA noted that the Nigerian airspace is safe and secure, while assuring air travellers.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stated that investigations revealed that violations of some flights and their straying into restricted airspace was as "a result of adverse weather."
The NCAA noted that the Nigerian airspace is safe and secure, while assuring air travellers.
SaharaReporters had last week exclusively reported that the "unknown aircraft" (DNP4) which flew over the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja, causing panic for government officials was a Max Air flight.
The NCAA had affirmed that there was no security threat to Aso Rock, the Nigeria's seat of power.
SaharaReporters earlier on Friday reported that the NCAA issued a stringent warning to all aircraft operators after receiving a report from the office of the National Security Adviser about an unknown aircraft flying over the Presidential Villa (DNP4).
"The airline mentioned in this memo was Max Air flying into Abuja from Kano," a top source had confirmed to SaharaReporters.
In a fresh press statement issued by the regulatory agency, and signed by the Acting Director-General, Capt Chris Najomo, the NCAA said, "The NCAA firmly aligns with the statement from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the total radar coverage of Nigeria.
" In furtherance to this, the NCAA investigated two recent cases of violations of the prohibited flight zones (DNP4) in Abuja established that both violations comprised controlled flights in controlled airspace, but strayed into restricted airspace as a result of adverse weather”.
The NCAA confirmed that NAMA had complete radar footage of the two violations, with full details of the identities of the aircraft and operators involved.
This it explained, was made possible only due to functional primary and secondary surveillance radars in Abuja. Similar installations are in Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt
"The NCAA states that the improvement of Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure and radar coverage, is being backed up with five additional MSSR stations at Obubbra, Ilorin, Talata Mafara, Maiduguri and Numan, to augment the four existing radar centres to achieve total coverage of the country."