The federal government has extended the closure of international airports by two weeks.
Government closed the airports for scheduled commercial flights in the midnight of March 23, 2020 and it was projected that it would be reopened after one month.
But in a tweet from his verified Twitter handle yesterday, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said that instead of reopening the airports on April 23, 2020, government has 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 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 Monday, 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 at all the airports.
A letter emanating from the office of the Director-General of the NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu and addressed to all operators with Ref: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/106 dated March 21, 2020 titled “Update on clarification on flight restriction into Nigeria due to covid-19 pandemic to accountable manager/country manager”, read: “Further to our earlier letter on 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.”
But since after the closure of the airports to commercial flights, 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 2000 persons have been airlifted out of the country by notably European nations, the US, Israel, South Africa and others.
Also, some international carriers, including British Airways, had projected that flight service to Nigeria would start from April 24, 2020, but with the extension, flights might resume about May 8, 2020.
