Nigeria to reopen international flights, as FG issues new guidlines to aviation agencies, airlines

The Federal Government has directed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and other agencies, as well as airlines, to commence the process for the resumption of international flights.

It said international flights will resume in a matter of weeks not months.

The National Coordinator of Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, and Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, disclosed this on Thursday while answering questions at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

Specifically, Dr. Aliyu said passengers would arrive three hours before flights when the country’s airspace finally reopens for international operations.

“We have modified the protocol for passenger arrivals at the airports. Domestic passengers arriving at the airports are advised to arrive one hour before their flights and three hours before international flights – when this restarts,” he said.

In his submission, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, noted that the prolonged reopening of international flights is to protect Nigerians from further spread of COVID-19.

When international flights eventually resume, passengers are expected to arrive the airport three hours before their flights, he corroborated Aliyu.

“On the question about the reopening of the airports, I will like to use this medium to reiterate and to be consistent with what we’ve been saying. I want people to understand that this is not purely an aviation function.

“It also has to do with our health and is so huge that it made Mr President in his wisdom to set up the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. This is in the interest of the nation,” Sirika said.

The minister maintained that operators in the civil aviation sector had wanted to open the airports a long time ago in order to return to business and halt the loss of revenue, adding that ban on international flights had warranted the mass sacking of workers in the aviation sector and non-payment of salaries by airlines.

“So we really want to open. But we can’t open alone, for within the space where we operate we’ve got all kinds of people there in the airports.

“We’ve got immigration, police, Customs, civil defence, port health, etc, and so the PTF has set up a technical committee to come up with a date when everybody will be happy to start.”

“So we will open as soon as all of us are happy to open. And I want to adopt what the coordinator has said; it will be in weeks rather than in months.”

“We feel your pain. We know that this closure of airports has separated families and friends, denied people access to hospitals abroad, schools, businesses, etc. We feel this pain,” he said, adding, “Please don’t blame me, don’t blame Mr. President for the closure but blame COVID-19”.