This Day
Chinedu Eze
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it was yet to receive official communication from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the lifting of flight restrictions placed on Nigeria and 11 other African countries following the discovery of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in South Africa late last year.
The agency however said that once an official letter was received from the UAE, the Ministry of Aviation and the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 pandemic would act appropriately.
The Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu who made this known yesterday in Lagos, disclosed that the Country Manager of Emirates Airlines visited his office on Thursday to convey the lifting of the flight services restriction on Nigeria and 11 others.
But, he said that the NCAA could not act on it until the UAE Civil Aviation Authority writes officially to the Nigerian government through the diplomatic channels known to the two parties, maintaining that flight operations between the two countries was based on Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) arrangement.
“The Country Manager of Emirates Airlines came to my office yesterday (Thursday) and he submitted a letter of release by the Dubai Airport lifting the ban on Nigeria and 11 other African countries. Of course, we still have some protocols that have to be complied with. I think it is acceptable.
