Airports

Arik Air says it will commence domestic flight operations with resumption of services to four additional airports - Benin, Jos, Owerri and Asaba.

Nigeria has re-opened 14 airports months after recording more than 40,000 Covid-19 cases and 858 deaths.

The airports are the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja; Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport, Omaguwa; Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri.

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has described as untrue, insinuations in some quarters that Nigerian airports would reopen for international flights in October.

The Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF Boss Mustapha, stated this while speaking at the daily briefing of the PTF COVID-19, on Monday in Abuja.

The probe, government said, involving Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri and the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, is with a view to sanctioning violators if it is established that they indeed violated the rules, or apologise to them should the result of the investigations exonerate them.

The Chairman House Committee on Aviation, Hon Nnolim Nnaji, on Thursday, called on regulatory agencies at various airports to bar any intending travellers from who failed to adhere strictly to the safety guidelines put in place by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on COVID-19, from accessing the airports forthwith.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had last month advised passengers to arrive at airports at least three hours before flight time.

The minister stated this on Saturday when he led a team from the aviation industry and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on a simulation exercise with a MaxAir flight, VM1644.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has commended passengers at both Lagos and Abuja airports on their level of compliance to the laid down protocols to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The absence of Osarenkhoe Afe, the second defendant in court, stalled the ongoing trial of former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, over alleged fraud at the Federal High Court Abuja.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, says that Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, are ready for recommencement of domestic flights.

The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART), a non-governmental body has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government’s plan to concession four of the country’s airports.

With less than five days to commencement of domestic flights in Nigeria, preparations are in place to ensure that safety measures are adhered to during operations.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Thursday said the rail station would implement COVID-19 protocol similar to the airports before resumption of train service in order to tackle COVID-19 pandemic.

It came like a bolt out of the blue early this week, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, issued an advertisement, which went in a completely different direction compared to what he had always said of President Muhammadu Buhari.

As the country gears up to restart commercial flights, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is set to deploy robots in its airports all over the country.

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has assured of its commitment to invest more in manufacturing of Disinfectant Sprayer Tunnels (DST) to boost fights against COVID-19.