Senate raises alarm over VIPs delaying aircraft landings

Résumé détaillé

The Senate has raised concerns over the safety risks posed by the prolonged holding of commercial aircraft in Nigerian airspace to accommodate movements by Very Important Persons…

The Senate has raised concerns over the safety risks posed by the prolonged holding of commercial aircraft in Nigerian airspace to accommodate movements by Very Important Persons (VIPs) and other security-related operations.

The red chamber warned that keeping passenger aircraft airborne for extended periods while landing operations are suspended could expose passengers and crew members to avoidable aviation risks, particularly fuel-related emergencies.

The concerns followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Isah Jibrin (APC-Kogi East), who drew attention to instances where commercial aircraft scheduled to land at Nigerian airports were reportedly forced to remain in holding patterns for lengthy periods, in some cases exceeding one hour, to accommodate VIP movements.

Presenting the motion under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, Jibrin said the practice raised serious questions about the coordination of aviation operations and the management of foreseeable airport restrictions.

The Senate noted that commercial aviation operated on carefully coordinated schedules covering aircraft departures and arrivals, fuel planning, crew duty-time limitations, passenger connections, airport operations and air traffic management.

It observed that commercial aircraft scheduled to land at some local airports were sometimes compelled to remain airborne because landing operations had been temporarily suspended to accommodate VIPs or other security-related movements.

The motion specifically noted that such aircraft were sometimes kept in holding patterns for extended periods, “in some cases reportedly for over an hour”.

The lawmakers also expressed concern that international flights scheduled to land at Nigerian airports sometimes diverted to alternative airports within the country when access to their intended destinations was temporarily restricted because of VIP movements.

While acknowledging the legitimacy of security arrangements surrounding VIPs and other…

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