The Senate has issued an urgent warning to aviation authorities, stating that frequent, uncoordinated airport closures and airspace restrictions for Very Important Personalities (VIPs) could lead to a major aviation disaster.
The Senate raised the alarm following a motion moved by Senator Jibrin Isa (Kogi East), expressing grave concern over commercial passenger aircraft routinely forced to circle in the air for up to an hour or longer. Lawmakers emphasized that keeping planes airborne unnecessarily exposes passengers and crew to severe risks, including fuel exhaustion, adverse weather conditions, and air traffic congestion.
Ruling on the motion, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the current operational hazards as an “avoidable accident that is waiting to happen if nothing is done,” urging an immediate overhaul of how VIP security arrangements are managed. Describing the extreme vulnerability of air travellers, Senator Akpabio famously referred to an aircraft as a “flying coffin,” stressing that passengers and crew members remain exposed to danger until their aircraft lands safely.
While acknowledging the necessity of providing adequate security for the President and Vice-President, lawmakers insisted that public safety must not be compromised. To address the threat, the Senate passed resolutions directing the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to establish strict operational protocols:
- Regulatory agencies must ensure proper advance coordination and notification of planned airspace restrictions to airline operators.
- Where restrictions are unavoidable, aircraft yet to depart must be kept on the ground, with flight schedules adjusted to prevent planes from taking off only to be kept circling in the air.
- As moved by Senator Neda Emasuen (Edo South), airborne aircraft facing landing delays must not be left circling indefinitely, but directed to suitable alternative airports to land safely.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Dike Plang (Plateau Central), drawing on his prior experience in aviation ground operations, criticized poor flight scheduling.
I worked with Kabo Air in 1996 as a station manager in Kano and Saudi Arabia, where he received training in ground operations.Aviation operations depend heavily on accurate timing and coordination. I believe that airlines and airport authorities should be adequately informed about planned VIP movements before commercial flights are cleared for departure.
Senator Diket Plang.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) lamented the persistent failure to protect ordinary passengers, recounting a 40-minute flight from Kano that spent two and a half hours in the air due to VIP movement. Warning of heightened risks ahead of the harmattan season, Senator Ningi called for the heads of the NCAA, NAMA and FAAN to appear before the Senate Committee on Aviation and insisted that the Senate leadership should also participate in the engagement.
Nigeria is increasingly operating like a lawless country, where passengers have become accustomed to unexplained flight delays and disruptions without adequate consideration for their inconvenience.
Senator Abdul Ningi.
Senate President Akpabio also highlighted how poor coordination affects airport ground operations, sharing a personal experience where passengers were left stranded inside an airport shuttle bus for three hours sweating due to VIP movement.
Being a former governor myself, I had to conceal my identity and avoid eye contact with other passengers who were expressing anger and raining abuses on government officials over the delay.
Senator Godswill Akpabio.
In addition to directing the aviation regulatory heads to appear before lawmakers, the Senate President demanded formal clarification on which categories of public officials outside the President and Vice-President are entitled to extensive airport restrictions.
The Senate has mandated its Committee on Aviation to convene an immediate meeting with key stakeholders and report back within two weeks with actionable solutions to safeguard commercial aviation.
