By Francis Ogwo
Agencies responsible for airline operations in Nigeria comprising of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) have met towards easing the travel ban currently effective in Nigeria.
The spokeswoman for FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, denied that her agency had anything to do with a rumored post- Covid-19 travel guideline for air travellers.
She said that despite that FAAN had been tidying up plans to release a guideline, the newly released travel guidelines rumored to be from her agency were false.
“Consequently, the authority will like to enjoin air travellers and the general public to disregard the content of the said release.
“At the appropriate time, FAAN will release the post-Covid-19 travel guidelines via our official communication medium,” Yakubu assured.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is being awaited around the region by foreign airlines to reopen her airports, while the impatient ones had even illegally flown over the airspace and got grounded.
The country has been a good market for regional carriers like Africa World Airlines and Lome, ASKY, and other carriers.
Recall that Ghana had on May 1, 2020, re-opened its airspace to domestic travel with a very small air travel market. It depends hugely on Nigeria to stay afloat.
So Nigeria’s reopening is eagerly awaited just like an athletic game, the airlines are waiting for the gunshot, ‘On your marks, get set, fly’.
