The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued warnings to foreign airline operators and passengers operating into Nigeria from the UK and South Africa.
The NCAA Director-General, Musa Nuhu, issued the protocol and warnings in a letter on Sunday in Abuja.
According to the letter, failure of the airlines from UK and South Africa to adhere strictly to the new travel rules will attract a penalty of $3,500 for each passenger boarded.
“The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 over the weekend issued new travel rules for passengers on direct flights from the UK and South Africa due to the variance of coronavirus discovered recently in these two countries.
“The penalty is a fine of $3,500 for each passenger boarded and who fails to meet the new travel measures recently announced by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19,” the letter added.
The NCAA also notes that airlines will bear the burden of returning non-Nigerian defaulting passengers to point of embarkation for non-compliance to the new rules.
Punitive measures shall also be taken against airlines who fail to comply with these All Operators Letters. The punitive measures shall include but not limited to the following:
“(i) Airlines shall be fines $3,500 (Three thousand five hundred dollars) for each defaulting passenger.
(ii)Airlines may be required to return non-Nigerian defaulting passengers to point of embarkation.
(iii) Repeated non-compliance by any airline will lead to the suspension of the airline’s approval/permit to fly into the country.”
Also, for the two countries, passengers must present the following documents in order to be allowed to board their flight to Nigeria.
“Pre-departure “PERMIT TO FLY/QR code“generated from the Nigeria International Travel Portal (https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng) showing evidence of payment for the post-arrival day 7 COVID-19 PCR test and;
“Documentary evidence of a “NEGATIVE COVID-19“ PCR result done within 96 hours (4 days) of boarding from a verifiable laboratory or health facility,”
Nuhu added that passengers would be received and processed separately by the Public Health Authority on arrival in Nigeria.
The NCAA boss further said that all passengers would be required to self-isolate for seven days after arrival followed by a COVID-19 PCR test.
He stated that a dedicated register of arriving passengers from the United Kingdom and South Africa would be opened for enhanced surveillance and active enforcement of the protocols.