As part of further opening up the economy that have been ravaged by the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Federal Government of Nigeria through its Aviation Ministry has lifted the flight ban on Lufthansa, KLM and Air France, paving the way for them to resume their flight operations in and out of the country.
In a related development, Qatar Airways has also been granted approval to start operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja. This follows the approval of their respective flight plans and schedules submitted to the Ministry.
In granting the approvals, Senator Sirika emphasised the need for airlines operating in the country to employ international best practices in handling Nigerian passengers, as government will not tolerate any form of maltreatment of its citizens by any airline. In a related development, it appears all the nation’s international airports may resume international flight operations before the end of the year, as the Ministry of Aviation is working with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and other relevant bodies to ensure that the airports meet all the safety and health requirements and protocols.
The international airports that are yet to be cleared to resume operations are the Port Harcourt airport, the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu. According to the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika all hands are on deck to ensure that all logistic and policy necessities will soon be in place in order to address the difficulties encountered by international travellers, especially with the impending yuletide season.
He expresses his appreciation for the understanding and cooperation of Aviation stakeholders in ensuring the smooth reopening of the nation’s airspace.
