NCAA to ban foreign airlines for flouting COVID-19 protocols

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to ban foreign airlines who consistently fail to comply with the federal government’s requirements on COVID-19 protcol from coming into Nigeria.

In a circular tagged “revised provisional quarantine protocol for travellers arriving or departing Nigeria, dated 3rd December, 2021 with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/16/327, made available to newsmen yesterday, the Director- General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu further reiterated government’s penalty for non-compliance to pre-boarding requirements of the FG.

According to the NCAA, foreign airlines are expected to only board passengers travelling out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or result of Negative -COVID-19 PCR test done at Nigeria Centre for Disease (NCDC) accredited private laboratories.

The NCAA DG said, “Airlines are to only board passengers travelling out of Nigeria with evidence of either full vaccination for COVID-19 or result of Negative -COVID-19 PCR test done at Nigeria Centre for Disease (NCDC) accredited private laboratories and non-compliance to these pre-boarding requirements by any airline will attract a penalty of $3,500 per passenger.

“Airlines who consistently fail to comply with these requirements may be banned from coming to Nigeria.”

Nuhu, however, disclosed that the revised provisional quarantine protocol issued by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 becomes effective as from 12:01am on Sunday, 5th December 2021.

His words, “The PSC on COVID-19 has issued a revised provisional quarantine protocol for travellers arriving or departing Nigeria dated 24 December 2021, which becomes effective as from 12:01am on Sunday, 5th December 2021.

“This All-Operator’s Letter (AOL) is to convey to all airlines operating international flights into and out of Nigeria the revised provisional quarantine protocol for travelers arriving and departing Nigeria as issued by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.”

“Airlines are to however note that aspects of NCAA-AC-AMS-006 (Protocols for International Flight Operations) other than Item No. 1.0 (COVID-19 Response: Provisional quarantine protocol for travellers arriving in Nigeria), issued on 15 July 2021 still subsist.

“Airlines are to only board passengers travelling to Nigeria who are in possession of a paid permit to travel with a QR code and result of a negative COVID-19 PCR test done not later than 48 hours from time of boarding. For any inbound passenger who is unable to either make payment for his/her repeat PCR test(s) or generate a paid permit to travel via the Nigerian international Travel Portal (NITP), airlines are to send an email to directorporthealthfmoh@gmail.com and copy: travelportal@ncdc.gov.ng for necessary assistance.