By Francis Ogwo
While the ban on international and domestic flights in Nigeria still stands, it has been learnt that some foreign airlines are allegedly planning to resume flights to Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Some of the airlines had been said to have even scheduled some flights to Nigeria from June.
The Federal Ministry of Aviation have said until the ban was lifted, no plan of such would work.
Sources say Lufthansa Airlines had scheduled Abuja and Port Harcourt in its 20 long-haul routes to begin flight operations in June.
The carrier had allegedly made its first batch of flight reservation available in its booking system while planning to resume long-haul flights in June from Frankfurt to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Toronto, Mexico City, Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Bahrain, Johannesburg, Dubai and Mumbai, among others.
Another foreign airline Virgin Atlantic had also announced that it would commence sale of services for its summer schedule flights from March 28, 2021, and scheduled flights from London Heathrow to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
An official of the Ministry of Aviation while responding, said though plans have been made by airlines, it won’t happen until the ban is lifted by the President.
The Director, Public Affairs, FMA, James Odaudu, said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had not lifted the ban on commercial flights, whether local or foreign, and that “they (foreign airlines) can’t operate scheduled passenger flights as long as the ban remains. The PTF on COVID-19 has the final say on when flights can resume, based on the level of control of the pandemic”
“Of course, we in the sector can’t wait for activities to resume at the airports to forestall further loss of jobs and revenue. Aviation has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and it will be a great relief to have flights resume.”
The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), while reacting to the issue, said no foreign or local carrier could take decision to breach the Federal government’s order to fly to or within Nigeria.
The President of ATSSSAN, Ilitrus Ahmadu, said no airlines could make decisions for Nigeria on when to resume flights.
“It is not the foreign carriers that will decide for our country. So it is their business and they cannot say they can fly into the country without government opening the airspace.”
Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria had on May 6, extended the suspension of both local and international flights by four weeks after halting commercial flights by two weeks, before extending the ban by four-weeks.
