Reopening of Airports on June 21, not Feasible – NCAA Boss

By our Correspondent

Nigeria’s aviation authorities on Thursday said the reopening of airports in the country on June 21 not feasible given various and surrounding circumstances.

The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily briefing yesterday, “The June 21 resumption dates for domestic flights is not feasible”.

This is coming after the presidential taskforce on COVID-19 set June 21 timeline for reopening domestic airlines in the country. But the latest update by the Aviation boss means the preparations for reopening by the sector over the past two weeks will be held back. Airports have been fumigated and guidelines for passengers have since been released. It could be recalled that the Federal Airport 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 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 at March, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had reported an estimated revenue loss of $252 billion in the sector globally.