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Monday, 29 September 2014

Jonathan keeps 6 planes hovering for 2 hours


At least six planes full of passengers were made to hover around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, western Nigeria, on 20 September to allow President Goodluck Jonathan and his advanced team solely use the airspace.                                       

The process,known as VIP movement, ‎lasted for about two hours, starting some minutes to 9:00 a.m. and ending after 11:00 a.m.

‎A VIP movement in Nigeria’s aviation parlance means that the airspace is closed to other commercial or private planes until the VIP has landed and is away from the apron. Continue..

During such movements, other planes are made to hover except if there is an emergency.

The risky incident happened while President Jonathan was visiting the Synagogue Church of All Nations where a guesthouse collapsed on 12 September and killed at least 115 people most of them South Africans.

The airspace was first closed some minutes to 9:00 a.m. for the President advanced team. It was opened for some minutes but closed again almost immediately.

A Dana plane scheduled to leave Lagos for Abuja at 9:00 a.m. did not take off until minutes after 11:00 a.m.

The aircraft had to be refuelled to compensate for the two hours lost while the VIP movement lasted.

A Lagos – Abuja flight last only about an hour, and the aircraft is fuel sufficiently enough for that distance.

When the airspace was reopened, our correspondent counted at least ‎six big planes that landed before other parked aircraft were allowed to proceed.

VIP movements are not new in Nigeria and did not ‎start with the administration of Jonathan, but many Nigerians have said the risk for hundreds of passengers in hovering planes outweigh the benefits.

This, they say, is also because many people are not yet convinced that the Nigerian Airspace is safe again.

But a security official who wanted to remain anonymous said with current security challenges in Nigeria, VIPs should be adequately protected.

He said there was nothing wrong in protecting the life of the president, especially as he puts his own life on the line to protect Nigerians.

VIP movement also covers the wife of the president, Patience, other heads of state and some high ranking political office holders.


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