Business
Covid-19 Task Force Visits PH Airport Ahead Of International Flight Resumption …Newsmen Barred From Airport
The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has visited the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa to assess facilities and level of preparedness for the resumption of international flights operations.
The visit came ahead of the reopening of the international terminal of the airport scheduled for April 15, this year.
Recall that the airport, along with others in the country, suspended international operations due to the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Confirming the visit and the presence of the task force at the airport, last Friday, the acting Head of Corporate Affairs of the airport, Mr Kunle Akinbode, said that members of the Presidential Task Force were on ground to ensure that necessary facilities were put in place before the international terminal is reopened.
According to him, the task force was determined to ensure that the standard protocol for Covid-19 is adhered to without any form of compromise.
“It does not matter the kind of treatment or reception you give to them, they will ensure that the proper thing is done and that the airport will be scored based on what is available to meet the standard for reopening.
“If such standard are not met, there is no way they will allow the airport to reopen for international flights operations, because it is an international flights operations business”, he said.
Akinbode recalled that it took extra efforts of the airport management, in terms of finance and other logistics, for the domestic wing of the airport to reopen after the lockdown period.
He said that the task force has a checklist of the standard requirements for resumption of international operations, explaining that any deficiency might disqualify the airport from resumption, except firm promise is made to provide such within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Akinbode has said that newsmen would no longer be allowed to operate at the airport, explaining that there is no more accommodation for the media at the airport.
He told the airport correspondents that the directives to that effect was from the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of the Federal Airport Agency of Nig-eria, Mrs Herrietta Yakubu.
Akinbode said aviation correspondents would now operate virtually, adding that similar mode of operation is obtainable in other airports in the country.
By: Corlins Walter