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Activities resumed in the international wing of Nigeria’s ever-busy capital airport on Monday, as the country logged its first batch of scheduled flight operations at the facility after roughly six months of closure due to the COVID-pandemic. 19.
An Ethiopian Airlines-operated plane, carrying 120 passengers and 13 crew members, landed at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport at exactly 1:32 p.m. local time (1232 GMT), according to local officials.
It was the first plane to land at the airport since March 23, when the country’s airports were closed as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.
According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), British Airways, Emirates, ASKY Airlines and Air Cote d’Ivoire were also scheduled to fly into Abuja airport on Monday.
Local aviation industry experts and officials have described the resumption of international flights as a breakthrough in the aviation industry in the most populous African country.
“The international flight that just arrived is a lifeline for all of us in the aviation industry,” said Rabiu Yadudu, director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
Domestic flight operations have resumed in the country since July 8. “The first flight that entered the national wings gave us a lot of confidence that we were going to return,” Yadudu said. Now the international flight. I think all the stakeholders in the aviation sector are happy. “
Prior to the resumption of international flights, the Nigerian government on Saturday banned eight foreign airlines from entering the West African nation, namely Air France, KLM Royal Dutch, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Royal Air Maroc and TAAG Angola.
Some of them were denied permission to enter because Nigerians on tourist visas have been banned from entering those countries.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said the country will not allow nationals and airlines of countries that have banned Nigerians from entering their territories amid the pandemic.
On August 27, the Nigerian government announced a one-week postponement of the planned resumption of international flights from August 29 to September 5, saying the move was aimed at making adequate preparation in accordance with COVID-19 protocols.
Musa Nuhu, NCAA CEO, had told the media here that the forms for COVID-19 testing and all other preparations to prevent the spread of the virus had to be fully implemented before flights could be resumed. international
The country’s aviation ministry said in a statement that around 1,280 passengers could enter Abuja and Lagos airports daily.
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