By Francis Ogwo
Plans have been concluded by KLM and Air France to resume flights to Nigeria after eight months of suspended flights to the country in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.
The carriers made this public in a statement which read: “As from December 7, 2020, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch airlines will resume passenger flight operations to Abuja and Lagos.”
Recall that the two carriers were also barred by the Nigerian government in a move to activate the reciprocity policy.
According to the General Manager Air France KLM Nigeria & Ghana, Michel Colleau, passengers can now fly Air France and KLM from Nigeria (Abuja and Lagos) to Paris and Amsterdam with the possibility of transfer to other European and North Atlantic destinations while adding that Air France and KLM were monitoring the changing health situation worldwide on a daily basis with a view to guaranteed health safety of passengers.
Colleau said, “Flights to and from Lagos and Abuja will be operated in strict compliance with NCAA and international health protocols and will adhere to the highest standards of health and hygiene.”
In August 2020, the Federal Government enforced the principle of reciprocity in granting permission to airlines to resume operations in the country as it opened its airspace.
This imples that only airlines from countries that allow flights from Nigeria will be allowed to fly into and out of the country.
Nigeria had taken the decision when countries in the European Union (EU) started lifting restrictions on non-essential travel in July. Over 50 countries, including Nigeria, were banned based on a number of factors.
