NCAA, NAMA Issue Advisory To Airlines As Int’l Flights Resume, ‘Morrow

As the country prepares for resumption of international flight operations, tomorrow, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has issued a circular to all aviation stakeholders and the foreign airlines flying into Nigeria.
This is just as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), also issued Notice To Airmen (NOTAM), informing the airlines that only Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; would be open for now for international flights.
The NCAA, in an All Operators Letter with reference number NCAA/AIR/11/16/225, signed by the Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu said: “Following the announcement by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 on the partial resumption of international flights, we wish to inform the industry of the following: Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (DNMM) and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja (DNAA) will resume international operations effective 00.01z on 5th September, 2020.”
Other international airports in the country will not be reopened immediately for international flights resumption as the NCAA circular further said that, “Other International Airports, namely: Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (DKNN), Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa (DNPO), and the newly reopened Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu (DNEN) will remain closed to international flights until a new date is determined and announced.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Managing Director, Captain Fola Akinkuotu while speaking about the Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) issued to airlines said: “The NOTAM was issued immediately we received the circular from the NCAA, today (Thursday). The NOTAM takes effect from the hour 0001 UTC on the 5th of September.”
With the circular from NCAA and the NOTAM from NAMA, the foreign airlines are now waiting to be informed, “how the 1,280 (each for Lagos and Abuja airports) inbound passengers will be allocated and the official Covid-19 guidelines protocols, especially the digital platform where inbound passengers can fill in required information”, an official of NCAA said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, announced September 5 as the date for the full resumption of international flights, and denied some airlines entry into the country.
Some international airlines were, yesterday, denied entry into Nigeria when international flights finally resume on Saturday, September 5.
The list of the airlines denied entry and those given approval to operate into the country was released, yesterday, in Abuja by the Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika.
According to Sirika, some of the international airlines denied flight approval, include, Air France, KLM, Etihad, Rwandair, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines and others.
He, however, said some airlines were denied approval because international flights were yet to resume in their countries.
The two affected airlines are Cape Verde and South African airlines.
The airlines given licence to operate include: “British Airways, Delta Airline, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egyptair, Air Peace, Virgin Atlantic, Asky, Africa World Airways (AWA), Air Cote-d’Ivoire, Kenya Airways, Emirate, and Turkish airlines”.
The minister also warned that the approved airlines are expected to operate within Covid-19 protocols.
Sirika also issued further guidelines for arriving and departing international passengers.
It would be recalled that the country’s international airports had been closed to international flights since March due to the outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus.
The resumption of international flights had once been postponed before the September date was agreed upon.