FG SUSPENDS PLANNED RESUMPTION OF FLIGHTS
The Federal Government, on Thursday, June 18, suspended plans to resume domestic flight operation on June 21.
Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this on Thursday at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.
Sirika, represented by the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt Musa Nuhu, said, the plans to reopen domestic flights have stopped.
Nuhu said, the civil authority can not specifically disclose when flights will resume.
“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.”
Recall, following the ease of the lockdown order by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Government, on June 1, announced that the resumption of domestic flights will commence by June 21.
Sani Aliyu, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said the Federal Government had approved the resumption of domestic flights.
He added that the aviation sector should begin to develop safety protocols that will intensify its full resumption amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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