Suspended Domestic Flights Resume 21 June

The suspended domestic flights occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic since March will resume in Nigeria 21 June.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the flight resumption at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja yesterday.

Sirika said the resumption of flights will be based strictly on two folds. The implementation of the approved protocols for safe operations of the airlines and safety of travellers.

He said, “The three-week period between now and the resumption date is to enable the operators adhere to all the necessary industry regulations, without which they cannot take to the skies after being dormant for some time.

“This is because aviation, unlike other sectors, is a highly regulated one”.

The minister added that consultations had been on between the ministry and the industry’s stakeholders on the best ways to operate profitably, while, at the same time, ensuring safety of travellers upon resumption.

Sirika however warned owners of private aircraft, who, he said, were fond of asking for permits to fly within the country despite the restrictions in place to desist, as the restrictions were still in place.

According to the minister, only flights on essential services, which have been clearly defined will be allowed adding that since approval for flights on essential services was not being paid for, it would take little or no time to grant it.

Sirika warned people against allowing themselves to be scammed by those outside the approving authorities.

While assuring that everything humanly possible would be done to ensure speedy recovery of the sector, he reiterated that under his watch, the sector had zero tolerance for corrupt practices since his assumption of office as minister.

The minister expressed gratitude to the stakeholders in the aviation sector for their cooperation, in spite of their unquantifiable losses, occasioned by the lockdown since March.