The Federal Government is weighing the possibility of shutting down the General Aviation Terminal at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following reports that the facility has become a hotspot for money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.
The GAT, which serves private jet owners and charter services, has been flagged for its role in facilitating unregulated charter operations.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed this on Tuesday while receiving a report from a ministerial task force investigating illegal private charter operations.
Keyamo disclosed that some private jet owners and operators holding the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight had been using their aircraft for unauthorized commercial services, making it difficult for regulators to track their activities.
“When I resumed office, I was advised to overlook this issue because those involved are considered untouchable. But my background as a former EFCC prosecutor means my duty is to touch the untouchable,” the minister stated.
He identified the situation as a national security risk, noting that the inability of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to properly regulate PNCF holders had enabled money laundering, drug smuggling, and illegal entry and exit from the country.
Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force, Captain Ado Sanusi, while presenting the report, highlighted key concerns, including regulatory loopholes, security risks, and a revenue loss of over N120 billion to the Federal Government in the last decade.
Sanusi cited findings from the International Civil Aviation Organisation
,which revealed that 90 percent of aviation-related criminal activities in Nigeria occur at the GAT.
He recommended an immediate shutdown, reorganization, and reopening of the terminal to address security concerns and enhance revenue generation.
Responding to the report, Keyamo assured that the recommendations would be reviewed and implemented, stressing that the government would not hesitate to close the GAT if necessary.
“If we have to shut down GAT, we will do so to bring sanity to aircraft charter services in the country,” he said.
He also directed the NCAA to publish a list of licensed PNCF holders in newspapers and at airports to curb illegal operators.
The minister further disclosed that the government was investigating a foreign commercial airline accused by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency of aiding drug barons, adding that if such illegal activities exist within commercial airlines, private jet operations could pose an even greater risk.
