The resumption of domestic flight operations on June 21 has been ruled as not feasible by the Federal government.
In line with this decision, the Federal Government has reversed its decision to resume domestic flights operation on Sunday, June 21, 2020, saying that the date is no longer feasible for the restart.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika announced this on Thursday, June 18, 2020, at a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.
On Monday, June 1, the PTF coordinator, Sani Aliyu had requested the aviation industry to develop protocols for the resumption of domestic flights from June 21.
But Sirika, who was represented by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Musa Nuhu, said that despite the pressure to restart operations, “June 21st is not a feasible date to resume domestic operations”.
He said,
“The civil aviation authority despite pressures coming from all quarters will not approve the start any day until we are sure and we confirm that we are ready to start in a safe, secure, organised and efficient manner. To do otherwise is disastrous for all of us.
If we open the industry when we are not ready, and we are guilty of spreading coronavirus, God forbid we have any incident, I believe the government will come hard on us and it is going to be counterproductive and disastrous for the industry.
We are not too far, we are close but there is a need for the timing to ensure that we are ready, positively, absolutely ready to start work.”
Nuhu also made it known that the NCAA has been receiving feedbacks and addressing concerns following its meetings with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, airlines and other stakeholders.
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