Prior to the new government’s anticipated May 29, 2023,inauguration, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria has ordered the immediate transfer of all aircraft stationed at the General Aviation Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
According to FAAN, removing the parked planes at the Abuja airport was necessary to improve airport security for the upcoming presidential inauguration.
Private jets owned by affluent Nigerians, businesses, and airlines are among the many aircraft parked at the GAT facility in Abuja.
The relocation instruction was stated in a circular with the FAAN’s regional manager, Kabir Mohammed, dated May 8, 2023, sent to aircraft operators.
This is to alert you of the need to temporarily relocate your aircraft to alternative airports owing to the impending Presidential Inauguration scheduled for May 29, 2023, according to the circular with reference number: FAAN/ABJ/NAIA /RGM/NC/AM/1000/VOl-1.
“The Presidential Inauguration is a high-security event, and in order to ensure the safety and security of parties involved, it has become necessary to temporarily relocate all aircraft parked at the GAT to alternate airports. To this end, you are kindly requested to relocate your aircraft on or before 22 May 2023.”
A former managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and the CEO of Top Brass Aviation, Capt Roland Iyayi, reacted to the development by expressing concern that the majority of the aircraft parked at the GAT terminal at the Abuja airport are unusable.
As such, he said relocating them from the place might prove difficult.
“Most of the aircraft parked there cannot fly, so if FAAN is asking for aircraft to be moved then it would suggest that there’s something they know that we don’t know. I don’t think it’s possible, most of the aircraft parked there are not entirely serviceable, if they are not serviceable how do you move them?”
