Respite As Nigerian Airports Gear Up For Resumption Of Operation

Federal government says it is contemplating resuming local flight to four states including the federal capital territory.

It said major airport are to commence operation the “next few days”  after weeks of dormancy occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

The selected airports where aviation activities are expected to resume are the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja; Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano Arport, Kano and the Port Harcourt Airport, Choba, Rivers State.

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the decision to commence flights at the airports was to avoid clogging the “system.”

It would be recalled that the, Federal Government had on March 16 imposed a travel ban on 13 countries, including China, United States and Italy that had recorded over 1,000 cases of Coronavirus.

On March 13 it shut all airports for one month and later extended it by two weeks. On May 6, the government further extended the airports’ closure by four weeks until June 7.

But NCAA Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu this in a virtual event organised by the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART) said the agency was working with representatives of airlines and ground handling companies before forwarding a proposal to the Minister of Aviation for approval.

Also read: COVID-19: Nigeria Govt To Roll Out Measures For Reopening Of Schools

The virtual event was titled COVID-19: The Challenges and Opportunity for Nigeria’s Aviation Value Chain, During and Post.

The NCAA boss said: “We may resume domestic operations with four or five airports and we hope to expand as we get better. We don’t want to rush everything at the same time and get it choked up….

“Every money is important and we cannot achieve the two-meter physical distance. We are hopeful in the next few days we can resolve those issues and allow the airlines to commence operations.

“We have made our suggestion and recommendations and we are awaiting feedback from the Ministry of Aviation.”

Nuhu said air transport must be safe and not become part of the ways of spreading Coronavirus. He stated that physical distancing was an issue as discussions were still on on leaving the middle seats in an aircraft vacant.

Chairman, Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, urged the government to provide intervention for local carriers.

He said such intervention should be specific in order to enable the airlines retain their workers.

Onyema however disagreed with plans to leave the middle seats of aircraft free as that could further affect the revenue of the airlines.

He said: “The world is on break and nothing is happening. The authorities have reeled out things and these things come with a huge cost. How will airlines manage them and still be able to pay about 37 charges.

“I do not want free money that I cannot account for. This is not an opportunity to ask for money to buy new planes. In fact, intervention should be for the work force. I have over 3, 000 staff members at Air Peace. These people’s livelihood are endangered and we must do everything possible to keep their jobs.

“We should be asking the government for specific things that would help retain jobs. Job retention should be first and foremost.”

NCAA has however released COVID-19 protocols as approved by the Federal Ministry of Health for the aviation industry.

The protocols are for Nigeria-based crew operating international flights.

The crew members are now required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and observe Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) measures for the duration of their flights.

Nuhu, who announced the approval of the new protocols in a letter to airline operators, airports and other service providers, added that the crew members would not be quarantined but would undergo mandatory testing for COVID-19 every 14 days at the expense of their employers.