Nigerian govt bans Emirates flights, lifts ban
The 72-hour suspension slammed on Emirates Airlines by the Nigerian Government has been lifted
The initial ban was contained in a Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) circular issued on February 4.
It explained that the suspension followed a breach of guidelines placed by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
The airline was accused of airlifting passengers from Nigeria, using rapid antigen tests done at laboratories which are not approved by regulatory authorities.
The circular read, “Based on the foregoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented.
“Emirates Airlines has not been in compliance with the two options given by the PTF as records obtained from Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) indicates that Emirates Airlines operated the flights from both Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.”
FG GOVT LIFTS BAN ON EMIRATES
Meanwhile following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government suspension the pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RDT), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has lifted the ban placed on Emirates Airline with immediate effect allowing them to recommence normal operations in Nigeria.
This is coming barely hours after the 72 hour ban on Dubai based Airline was made public, and consequent to the decision to suspend the RDT, Emirates Airlines no longer requires passengers to carry out pre-departure RDT.
In another statement signed by the Director General of the NCAA, Captain Nuhu Musa, Emirates Airlines on 5th February 2021 informed the NCAA in writing that the UAE Government has approved the suspension the pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) requirement for passengers travelling on their flight to Dubai which caused the initial ban.
As a result of the foregoing, the PTF directed the NCAA to lift the suspension placed on Emirates Airlines flights into Nigeria with effective from 5th February 2021
