By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will no longer be reopening its airspace to international flights from August 2020, as earlier planned.
Instead, flights from across the globe may now be allowed to land in Nigeria from October 2020, reports in few sections of the media suggest.
In a Notice To Air Men (NOTAM), which was signed by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr Musa Nuhu, it was stated that the ban on foreign flights has been extended.
“The federal government of Nigeria has extended the closure of our airports to all international flights with the exception of aircraft in a state of emergency.
“However, approval may be requested and granted to overflights, operations related to humanitarian aids, medical relief flights, alternative aerodrome in the flight plan and also those being used for extended diversion time operation, technical landing where passengers do not disembark and cargo flights and other safety-related operations,” the notice said.
It was earlier rumoured that the Nigerian government will accept airline operators to resume international operations from August 19, 2020, but with this postponement, this might happen on October 15, 2020.
However, the airspace regulator has said if there would be any further extension, it would pass the message to passengers through the appropriate channels.
Nigerians had expected the reopening of the international flights after airlines were allowed to commence domestic operations on the back of a three-month break caused by COVID-19.
However, with this development only essential and diplomatic flights would be allowed until the airspace is safe and cleared for international flight operations.
At the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in March, the federal government shut down the country’s airports in a bid to curtail the spread of the contagion.
It only allowed flights conveying some essential items like medical consumables. During the period, the medical supplies from a Chinese philanthropist, Mr Jack Ma, came into the country.
