By OLADELE ENIOLA

No fewer than 18 million passengers now travel the Nigerian airspace in a year, according to the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA).

The President, NATCA, Mr Abayomi Agoro, made this known in a message to mark this year’s 2022 International Day of Air Traffic Controller (IDATC), in Lagos, on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oct. 20 is set aside as the International Day of Air Traffic Controller to celebrate Air traffic controllers across the world.

Agoro said that Air Traffic Controllers work on schedule at 32 airports in the country, nine of which are international airports; guiding about 100,000 flights to keep the millions of passengers safe.

“We worked day and night, including weekends and holidays, to keep pilots and their passengers safe,” Agoro said.

He said that on the occasion of the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller, they deserved all the accolades for working hard to ensure safety in the airspace.

The NATCA president explained that there was never a time when the skies were not monitored by air traffic controllers.

He said that the association’s members also direct planes during inclement weather and a variety of emergency situations to ensure safe skies for passengers and pilots.

“We therefore have every reason to celebrate ourselves individually and collectively for the critical role played by air traffic controllers to achieve a higher safety index which we all know is a critical component of air traffic system.

“Safety is not just our watchword as air traffic controllers but also the basic prerequisite for increasing flight efficiency.

“This is as exemplified by pilots, literally putting their own lives and the lives of their passengers in the hands of air traffic controllers.

“Such a heavy reliance on the voices of the air traffic control system manned by the air traffic controllers make us quite unique as professionals in the chain of duties in the aviation sector,” he said.

Agoro extended goodwill message to all members of the association as they celebrated the 61st edition of the International Air Traffic Controller Day.

He said that they had cause to look back with pride at their contributions to the aviation industry.

According to him, this is in addition to the numerous achievements as a body of professionals saddled with the responsibility of directing air traffic on the ground at airport runways and taxiways

Agoro said that others were issuing landing and takeoff orders to pilots and monitoring the movement of planes through airspace.

“There is never a time when the skies are not monitored by air traffic controllers. We work day and night, including weekends and holidays, to keep pilots and their passengers safe.

“We also direct planes during inclement weather and a variety of emergency situations.

“On this Day, we recognise these dedicated professionals for the ingenuity they use to safeguard the country’s reputation for aviation excellence.

“As we continue to discharge our safety duties, the International Air Traffic Controller Day, we should applaud ourselves for keeping Nigeria’s air travel system open, safe, and efficient.

“The dutiful and diligent efforts of members of NATCA have consistently helped to bolster the aviation industry and by extension the nation’s economy,” Agoro said.

The president promised the commitment of members to continue to ensure optimum output in the discharge of their duties as Air Traffic Controllers (NAN)

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