The Federal Government announced over the weekend that it has approved for domestic flight operations to resume in 14 airports in the country.
The airports include Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa; Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri; Maiduguri Airport, Maiduguri; Victor Attah Airport, Uyo; and Kaduna Airport, Kaduna. Others are Yola Airport, Yola; Margaret Ekpo Airport, Calabar; Sultan Abubakar Airport, Sokoto; Birni Kebbi Airport; Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos; and Benin Airport, Benin City.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika confirmed the approval for flight resumption in a tweet on Sunday, saying that inspection were completed in these airports before flight resumption was approved. He added that Nigerians would be informed of decisions on other airports in due course. Services to resume also include private and charter operations.
The airports have been shut down for several months following the restriction of movement and lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.
For the avoidance of doubt, only domestic operations have been authorized to commence in the listed airports. The date for resumption of international flights is yet to be approved.
Strict National Centre for Disease Control protocols are expected to be maintained in all the airports and compliance is mandatory. The government has shown that it is capable of maintaining a name and shame regime for those who flout these protocols, without fear or favour, following recent listing of some governors and business leaders, said to have disobeyed COVID-19 protocols at the first set of airports that were re-opened.
The regulatory measures for flights as provided by the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, include:
- Travelers are to arrive at least one and a half hours before their departure time for the domestic flights.
- Travelers are advised to check-in online.
- All passengers must arrive at the airport with their face mask on.
- Passengers must keep a minimum distance of 1.5 meters, with medical/port health personnel ensuring the proper use of face masks.
- Passengers traveling with pets must get their needed clearance from Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services.
- Passengers’ luggage is to be disinfected before their entry to departure halls.
- Hand sanitizers to be provided for passengers before at the waiting halls/lounges and before entering boarding gates, with the passengers required to wash their hands as frequently as possible.
- Passengers’ footwear to be sanitized and disinfected by foot mats placed on the ground across entrances to the terminal building.
- Passengers are required to maintain social distance upon disembarkation from the aircraft and at the baggage claim area, with all Covid-19 protocol measures observed during customs check.
The period of lockdown seems to have provided the airports with the opportunity to make some improvements in their facilities. They are now equipped with several hand-washing amenities and floor marks to enable travelers maintain the right physical and social distance from each other. Airport staff have also been trained to disinfect passengers’ luggage and check their body temperature.
It is also expected that airline owners also used the last the months of inactivity to check out their aircraft and ensure that they are all fully serviceable to avoid any mishap.
While the first flights between Lagos and Abuja at the beginning of the month witnessed low turnout of travelers amid the strict protocols, things seem to have picked up, although there have been complaints of higher fares.
Aviation experts say such is expected with fewer passengers and the need to reduce tight seating arrangements in the cabins. Also, as more airlines and destinations come on stream, competition for the fewer passengers may also encourage them to attract the available passengers with lower fares.
IMAGE CREDIT: Dana Air, Twitter
