Gbenro Adesina
The Minister for Aviation in Nigeria, Senator Hadi Sirika today announced the resumption of international flights with effect from Saturday August 29, 2020.
It would be recalled that as a result of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the Nigerian government, on Monday March 23, 2020, announced the suspension of all international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights.
Sirika announced this at Monday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, adding that Nigeria’s international airports have reached advanced stages of preparedness for resumption of international flight operations.
He stated that the international flights would begin operation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos adding, “Protocols and procedures will be announced in due course”.
Stressing that emphasis would be placed on the observation of all the safety and technical guidelines as prescribed by global and health authorities, he said, “I am glad to announce the resumption of international flights from the 29th of August, 2020. Beginning with Lagos and Abuja as we did with the domestic flight resumption. Protocols and procedures will be announced in due course. We thank you for your patience”.
According to him, passengers must do a Covid-19 test close to departure date and do another one eight days after arriving in the country pointing out that the passenger would bear the cost of the tests.
