Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has won the bid to host the forthcoming annual Africa and Middle East Regional meeting of International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Association (IFATCA) after defeating Algeria to the bid.
It would be the second time that Nigeria would be hosting the conference. Nigeria hosted the conference for the first time in 2001. The last conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
President of NATCA, Mr. Victor Eyaru told journalists in Lagos over the weekend that the conference would be held in Abuja between November 5 and 9, 2018.
Eyaru explained that no fewer than 200 delegates are expected from Africa, Middle East and other continents around the world, adding that Nigeria would benefit immensely from hosting the conference.
According to him, hotels, telecommunication companies, local airlines, government agencies and cab operators among others who would benefit from hosting of the conference by Nigeria.
The NATCA leader explained that the association is partnering with Dana Air and Air Peace for the airlifting of the delegates to Abuja while the telecommunication companies would collaborate with the association in distributing SIM cards to t he delegates.
He declared that agencies such as Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria are co-sponsors of the conference.
He said: “We are bringing IFATCA to Nigeria. This will be the second time the country would be hosting the conference, having hosted it in 2001. Several business organisations will benefit from the conference.
“For instance, the 200 delegates that are expected at the conference would lodge in hotels while cabs would transport them from their various hotels to the conference centre. Several businesses would also benefit. We want to take the Nigerian aviation industry to the next level with the conference and we hope that would be achieved.”
He added that several resource persons are expected at the conference while communiqué issued would be sent to appropriate authorities for implementation.
