Chinedu Eze
The federal government has extended the closure of international airports by two weeks.
The airports were closed to scheduled commercial flights on March 23 for one month.
But in a tweet from his verified Twitter handle yesterday, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said instead of reopening the airports on Thursday, the federal government had extended the closure by additional two weeks.
“COVID-19. As a result of the extension on lockdown by Mr. President, it is no longer possible for us to open our airspace and airports for normal operations by the 23rd of April, 2020. They will remain closed for a further two weeks. This is subject to review as appropriate, please,” Sirika said.
The federal government had on March 23 shut all the nation’s airports to incoming international flights.
A statement from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said all incoming international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights were prohibited from landing.
A letter authorising the initial closure had emanated from the office of the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, addressed to all operators with Ref: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/106 and dated March 21, 2020.
“Further to our earlier letter on the restriction of international flights into Nigeria, we wish to inform you that effective Monday 23rd March at 2300Z to 23rd April at 2300Z, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (DNMM) and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja (DNAA) will be closed to all international flights.
“Emergency and essential flights are exempted from this restriction. This is in addition to the closure of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (DNKN), Akanu lbiam International Airport, Enugu (DNEN) and Port-Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa (DNPO) effective Saturday 21st March at 2300Z. “Henceforth, all airports in Nigeria are closed to all incoming international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights,” the letter read.
But since after the closure of the airports, there have been essential and emergency flights, which include cargo operations, evacuation by countries that airlifted their citizens out of the country.
Since the week the airports were closed for scheduled flight operations, over 2,000 persons have been airlifted out of the country by notably European nations, the United States, Israel, South Africa, and others.
Also, some international carriers, including British Airways, had projected that flight service to Nigeria would start from April 24, but with the extension, flights might resume about May 8.
