Reopening of airports on June 21 not feasible, says NCAA boss

By TIMILEYIN OMILANA

Nigeria’s aviation authorities on Thursday said the reopening of airports in the country on June 21 is not feasible.

“The June 21 date for resumption of domestic flights is not feasible, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, discloses that today at the #PTFCOVID19 daily briefing,” presidential spokesman Ahmed Bashir tweeted.

This is coming after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 set June 21 timeline reopening for the civil aviation authorities.

But the latest update by the civil aviation authority boss means the preparations for reopening by the sector over the past weeks would be held back.

Airports have been fumigated and guidelines for passengers have since been released. In fact, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) held a virtual meeting with the management of Munich International Airport to share experiences regarding the resumption of flight activities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 induced lockdown of airports.

According to the statement, the meeting was held at the instance of its Managing Director, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, and was called to assess the readiness of FAAN to gradually begin operations, following the June 21 timeline.

FAAN boss explained that the meeting was crucial for the agency, as it was important for it to compare notes with other international airports to ensure safe travel in Nigeria.

Nigeria in March shut down borders and limit domestic travel as a response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and as of March, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had reported an estimated revenue loss of $252 billion in the sector globally. (The Guardian)