Aviation Daily!

 Emirates Airline has been added to the list of airlines which have been banned from operating in Nigeria. The ban took effect from the 21st of September. This was announced by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika in a social media statement Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Angolan TAG, Air Namibia, and Royal Air Maroc were not approved to operate flights into the country. Emirates airline joins the list of airlines not approved to operate in the country. The mega carrier has since commenced efforts to be approved once again by the federal government of Nigeria. The ban might be linked to the visa reciprocity agreement between Nigeria and the UAE.

The Middle East Airline (MEA), which took off from Beirut, Lebanon, made history as the first international flight to land anywhere in the country since March 2020 as it touched down at the MMIA at exactly 2.30p.m. The aircraft was ceremonially welcomed with a water cannon demonstration by the officials of the Aerodrome and Rescue Fire Fighters, a Department in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). The officials of FAAN, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Port Health Services (PHS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other relevant agencies were on ground to attend to the passengers brought in by the airline. On arrival at the terminal, passengers presented their documents, including COVID-19 PCR test results for screening by the Port Health Services officials, while their travelling papers, passports and visas were handled by the immigration officials at the airport. However, there was no much work to be done by the officials on ground as the aircraft landed with just 200 p

In Preparation of the new resumption dates, the Nigerian government has announced the approved airlines allowed to fly into the country. The list of international airlines was announced by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. According to Hon Sirika, only the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos will be opened on Saturday to receive International flights. The aviation minister said that the airlines denied flying approval include Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Royal line Morocco, Air Namibia, Etihad, and Rwanda Air. However, he also announced those airlines permitted to operate within the country’s airspace. They include British Airways, Emirates, Middle East Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic, Ethiopia, and Egypt Air. He said that the airlines are expected to operate within the COVID-19 protocols.

 I nternational flights, earlier scheduled to resume on August 29, will now commence on September 5. 2020 “Regret to announce that the international flight resumption earlier scheduled to resume on 29th August has been shifted to 5th September 2020,” the ministry of aviation tweeted on Thursday. President Muhammadu Buhari had in March ordered the suspension of international flights to stop further the spread of Covid 19 virus into the country. While local flights were also suspended, they resumed about five weeks ago as the country joined the rest of the world to battle the pandemic. The Director-General of the  Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority   (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, explained that the resumption was postponed to ensure all non-aviation logistics are put in place. Mr Nuhu while speaking at the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing, on Thursday, said this is to ensure the smooth and efficient resumption of the flights.