The Nigerian Government on Monday set up the National Air Transport Facilitation Committee to review the COVID-19 guidelines for the reopening of the country’s airports to international flights.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.
Sirika stated the committee would constitute of officials from ministries of Aviation, Health, Interior, Culture and Tourism, Foreign Affairs, and government agencies such as the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Police, Nigeria Immigration, Nigeria Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Customs, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Quarantine Service.
The minister bemoaned the inability of the aviation industry to pay staff salaries because international flights were yet to resume, said “the industry needs passenger movement especially international passengers to survive, it’s very difficult for us to pay salaries so we want to open more than you want to open.
“We daily deal with it but it is subject to several factors, all the sacrifice the industry is making is in the interest of the general public.
“We will definitely reopen. We will definitely reopen very soon and when it’s safe to do so reopening is the work of not only the aviation industry but other MDAs left to us we would have open since as it would help us make more money and carry out our activities pay salaries and provide the services. ”
“The purpose of the delay is to see what is safe for our citizens. So please bear with the situation as it is we know that some people are caught off from their families and businesses. But please try to understand that we will open. We are very responsible people; we will open when its the right time to open.”
