* Senator Hadi Sirika ,
The Aviation Ministry has made clarifications on flights considered as essential for which permissions for landing may be sought and granted.
The clarification was made in statement issued by the ministry’s Director, Public Affairs, James Odaudu .
The statement explained that the clarifications followed recent announcement of restriction of international flights into Nigeria as announced by NCAA.
According to the Ministry flights considered essential for which permissions for landing may be sought and granted include: Aircraft in a State of emergency, over flights and operations related to humanitarian services, medical and relief services.
Others are: alternate aerodromes identified in the flight plan (including those used for extended diversion time operations, technical stops where passengers do not disembark, cargo flights and other safety related operations.
The statement noted that, with the exception of aircraft in a State of emergency, request for approval for other flights is required and must directed to the Honourable Minister of Aviation, who is the sole authority to grant approval.
It further noted also that Protocol for the operation and handling of such flights would be provided with each approval, while flight crew shall not have physical contact with designated government officials and ground workers.
Meanwhile, all airline operators have been directed to deploy the following measures in order to protect passengers and the general public against the further spread of COVID-19:
- All persons, without exception, entering any airport terminal (domestic and International) must undergo temperature check and hand cleaning with sanitizers.
- All passengers, no their status, must undergo temperature check and hand sanitization before being allowed to board any aircraft.
- All airplanes must be disinfected before boarding by passengers.
These directives, the statement stated had been conveyed to all airline operators by NCAA and that government would not take kindly to any disregard.
