By Dayo Omoogun
The earlier announced date of resumption of international flights by the Nigerian aviation industry has been shifted by one week from August 29 (today) to September 5,2020.
This disclosure was made at Thursday’s briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, where the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Musa Nuhu, declared that international flights would not resume as earlier announced.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced on August 17 that international flights would resume on August 29 following pressures from the public for the resumption of the flights.
However, on Thursday the Aviation Authority boss explained that the decision to set September 5 as the new date for international flights resumption, is because there are still issues to be sorted out before allowing international carriers to operate into and out of Nigeria.
It is important to note that when Sirika announced the August 29 date, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had stated that the date was not sacrosanct but this time around, Nuhu declared on Thursday that the new September 5 date was sacrosanct, assuring that everything was being done to ensure that operations resume next week Saturday.
Nuhu said, “The aviation sector including the airports is ready to resume on the 29th. However, we have other non-aviation logistics we are still working on mostly to do with the COVID-19 protocols, tests, and online platforms.
“We need to get this in place so that we will have a smooth and efficient resumption of international flights without difficulties for all the passengers.
“So, for this reason, unfortunately, I have to let you know that the resumption date has been shifted by one week to the 5th of September which is now a sacrosanct date.”
Once the logistics are completed, the government would announce the protocols for the resumption.
The flights will however be limited to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos in the meantime.