EHIME ALEX, Lagos
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja has been reopened for business with passengers duly screened, in line with safety protocols following the coronavirus pandemic, report said on Saturday.
Activities in the Nigeria’s airline industry have undergone a total shutdown since March 2020, following the outbreak of the virus, and as a result, all International Airports were shutdown in the country to curtail spread of the pandemic.
The closure of both the land and International borders were part of the measures by the Federal Government to curb the COVID-19.
Further, on April 20, the federal government extended the suspension of airline operations for another two weeks, as a result of the extension on lockdown on Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states.
Then, only essential flights inclusive of cargo services, emergency landing, and evacuation, among others, were allowed though subject to the approval of the Minister of Aviation.
At the reopening of business on Saturday, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, witnessed strict compliance to other safety measures, aimed at curtailing spread of the virus.
At the airport, provisions were made for hand wash and alcohol-based sanitisers, temperature checks, as well as strict compliance to social distancing of about one metre.
Journalists, covering the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, were reportedly led on dry run test from Lagos to Abuja, to witness firsthand, reopening of the aviation sector.
Checks for COVID-19 safety protocols and screening, were other protocols carried out on passengers at the departure lounge.
Also, seats which are usually crowded, are said to have been rearranged in compliance with the social distancing rule.
Inscriptions to further guide passengers, such as “do not use this seat”, “keep your distance”, were placed on the seats.
Also, two newly acquired machines, for the purpose of identifying passengers, have been stationed at the airport.
According to the report, an operator, who asked not to be named, said the machine could perform all necessary and required tasks of passenger-screening.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had, a few weeks ago, said the airport would reopen for business on Aug. 27, after months of closure following the coronavirus outbreak.
The earlier planned reopening of the domestic flights on Sunday, June 21 could not hold, leaving Stakeholders in the industry with dashed hope on resumption of flights.
However, the government had said that the date was not feasible owing to certain development militating against smooth operations.
“The gaps have been closed. However, we still have a few gaps in the aviation system and this would be closed hopefully in the next couple of days. We must get it right both on the issues of technical safety and health safety of all stakeholders.
“After this we will observe and see the gaps that might still be there and close them. We will announce a date of resumption shortly sometime next week,” the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, represented by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu reportedly said.
(additional report from NAN)
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