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FG Mulls Banning UAE, Netherlands Flights Over COVID-19 Tests Requisite
The federal government on Monday said it might be forced to ban flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands amid stringent COVID-19 test requirements.
Under the new pre-boarding COVID test requirement placed on Nigeria, travellers are to do a rapid test at the airports in Lagos and Abuja four hours to their outbound flights.
Musa Nuhu, the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), lamented the “extra requirement” at the briefing by the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday.
He said if the two countries insist on implementing its new test requirements, then the PTF might be left with no other choice than to ban flight to the countries.
“They are adding an extra requirement of having a rapid test done four hours before departure or before you board,” he said.
“For us, passengers do the test 72 hours before departure. The PTF recognises the rights of all countries to put in measures to protect their citizens just like Nigeria has done.
“If they insist on having these additional tests done, then PTF has decided that their operations will be suspended into Nigeria.”
He said these countries and airlines cannot dictate to Nigeria “who to approve or how these tests will be done”
Nuhu said the government will hold discussions with the airlines and countries involved.
This will enable the PTF to have a proper and transparent process on ascertaining who will do these tests “based on the requirement for accreditation by NCDC, National Laboratory Council, Lagos state government for Lagos airport and FCT for Abuja airport”.
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