By REMI ELEGBEDE
Nigeria on Thursday barred seven international airlines from flying into the country when international flight resumed on Saturday, September 5, 2020.
The ban of the international airlines is the Federal Government of Nigeria’s response to the restriction of Nigerian airlines by some foreign countries.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the ban at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) COVID-19 press briefing held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport.
He named the ban airlines as Air France, Lufthansa Airline, Etihad Airline, Royal Air Maroc, Rwanda Air, South Africa Airline, and Air Namibia.
The minister listed the airlines allowed to operate from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, as Air Peace Airline, British Airways, Delta Airline, Emirates Airline, Turkish Airlines AWA-Ghana, and Egypt Air, among others.
The airlines to operate from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja include Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Middle East Airlines, Qatar, Ethiopian and Virgin Atlantic, among others.
Sirika explained that the latest move by the Federal Government was part of strategy to curtail the spread of coronavirus in Nigeria.
The minister said, “International flight operations will resume on Saturday, September 5, starting with Lagos and Abuja Airports. We have put mechanism in place to safeguard air travellers and ensure that airport users are safe at all time”.
“Some of the guidelines to be observed by passengers include strict compliance to all health protocols just as returnees must have 96 hours valid Covid-19 Free Certificate.”
He revealed that COVID-19 test of more than 4 days will not be accepted from intending passengers even as he said that airlines that board passengers without PCR test results will be sanctioned and fined up to $2,500 and may further be barred from entry into Nigeria’s territory.
Also, foreign passengers who entered Nigeria without a valid COVID-19 Free Certificate risk deportation and a period of 7 to 14 days in isolation centre.
The Minister disclosed that passengers are to fill online health declaration form on-board aircraft henceforth while formal screening of passengers will be conducted before boarding and airlines that board passengers without PCR test results will be sanctioned heavily.
Passengers who will come into Nigeria are to present themselves on return to Nigeria for COVID-19 test just as private laboratories will be allowed to forward results of Covid-19 test to the relevant authorities.
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