The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG) has backed the Senate’s concerns over disruptions to commercial flights caused by movements of Very Important Persons (VIPs), urging the Federal Government to provide dedicated runways for official flights at major Nigerian airports.
The group said separate runway facilities for VIP and government aircraft would help prevent commercial planes from remaining airborne for extended periods while waiting for landing clearance, thereby reducing operational risks to passengers and crew members.
Its convener, Bamidele Atoyebi, disclosed the position in a statement on Wednesday, November 11, describing the Senate’s intervention as support for the group’s earlier proposal to expand runway capacity at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
According to Atoyebi, the group had written to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on November 4, requesting an urgent review of runway capacity at the Abuja airport and an assessment of the feasibility of constructing an additional runway for official movements.
He said the letter, which was received by the minister’s office on the same day, requested a response within 30 days and expressed the group’s willingness to engage with the ministry on the proposal.
Atoyebi added that a similar request was submitted on November 5, seeking additional runway capacity at the Lagos airport, including a dedicated facility for VIP and official government flights.
He said the proposal was intended to address the disruption of scheduled commercial operations without undermining security arrangements for the President, other VIPs or protected government officials.
“At Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group, this is what we are good at: identifying policy gaps and proffering practical solutions to them,” the statement said.
The group argued that Nigeria’s major airports needed additional runway capacity to accommodate increasing commercial, diplomatic and official air traffic.
It cited the ongoing development of Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, which is planned to have five runways, as an example of long-term aviation infrastructure planning.
BAT-IG urged the Senate Committee on Aviation, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to consider its proposal.
The group also commended the Senate for demanding better coordination of foreseeable flight restrictions and advance communication with airlines.
The Senate had raised concerns on November 10 over the safety implications of keeping commercial aircraft in holding patterns while landing operations were suspended to accommodate VIP movements and other security-related activities.
The concerns followed a motion sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin, representing Kogi East, who said some commercial flights were reportedly kept airborne for more than an hour while awaiting clearance to land.
The lawmakers warned that prolonged holding patterns could increase fuel consumption, reduce aircraft fuel reserves and expose passengers and crew to risks associated with adverse weather, air traffic congestion and limited diversion options.
The Senate subsequently urged aviation authorities to improve advance coordination and ensure that, where restrictions were foreseeable, aircraft yet to depart were kept on the ground rather than allowed to take off and remain airborne while awaiting landing clearance.
It also directed its Committee on Aviation to engage relevant agencies, including the NCAA, NAMA and FAAN, and report back within two weeks.
While the Senate’s immediate resolutions focused on operational coordination, flight scheduling and alternative landing arrangements, BAT-IG is separately advocating dedicated runway infrastructure for VIP and official flights.
