* Pix source: Khaleej Times
The Presidential Task Force PTF on COVID-19 has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority( NCAA) to ban Emirates airlines from operatiing into the country.
The directive is contained ban in a letter dated 4 February 4, 2021,addressed to the country Manager of Emirates Airlines and signed by the Director General, NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu.
The letter copied the Chairman PTF, Minister of Aviation and the Minister of Health, National Coordinator PTF, Director General, UAE, General Civil Aviation Authority, MD NAMA and MD FAAN.
The reasons for the ban,according to the letter is the continued airlift of passengers from Nigeria using the Rapid Antigen Tests(RDT) conducted by laboratories that are neither approved or authorized by the appropriate regulatory body which is in fragrant violation of the Presidential Task Force on COVID -19 directive.
“This is a violation of paragraph 5 of the NCAA letter with REF: NCAA/DG/AIR11/16/281 of 02 February 2021 addressed to your good self. The paragraph clearly states, “Based on the forgoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented,” the letter reads.
The NCAA boss in the letter stated that the airline has not complied with the two options given by the PTF as records of operated flights by Emirates airlines from Lagos and Abuja obtained from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA )has shown.
According to the letter, “This is in addition to an advert by Emirates airlines for RDT by the Travel clinic and medical Mobile Laboratory in Lagos and Abuja, two organization that are not approved by the regulatory bodies and PTF to conduct RDT for departing passengers”.
Capt. Nuhu stated that PTF took these violations of its instructions seriously and as therefore directed that,
“Emirates should suspend its operations to Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) effective 72 hours from midnight (2300z) on Thursday 04 February, 2021”.
“During the 72 hours leeway, Emirates airlines is only authorized to bring in passengers into Nigeria while outbound passengers are not allowed”.
“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority will impose additional sanctions on Emirates airlines for the violations of the PTF directive and COVID-19 Protocols”.
“Emirates Airlineswill be informed in due time as when to resume operations to Nigeria.”
The letter further listed Emirates flights and date of operations as obtained from NAMA .
They include :
Date: 03 February 2021
Flight: UAE784
Aircraft type: B777-300
Registration Mark: A6EQA
Route: Lagos-Dubai
Passengers on board:195
* Date: 03 February 2021
Flight: UAE786
Aircraft type: B777W
Registration Mark: A6EQD
Route: Abuja-Dubai
Passengers on board:154
* Date: 04 February 2021
Flight: UAE784
Aircraft type: B777-300
Registration Mark: A6EQC
Route: Lagos-Dubai
Passengers on board:199
* Date: 04 February 2021
Flight: UAE786
Aircraft type: B777W
Registration Mark: A6ECV
Route: Abuja-Dubai
Passengers on board:175
Recall that United Arab Emirates(UAE) barred transit flights to Dubai, but allowing only passengers that are flying direct to Dubai.
The ban affected passengers and flights originating from Nigeria to Dubai via any other transit points.
Based on the ban Rwandair and there airlines suspended the lifting passengers originating from Nigeria to Dubai from January 31, 2021 till further notice.
