Domestic flight operations resume in Nigeria

By Felix Tih

ANKARA (AA) - Nigeria on Wednesday resumed domestic flight operations in two major cities after several months.

The flights resumed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in capital Abuja and Murtala Muhammed Domestic Terminal in the commercial city of Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a tweet.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority also shared several photos of passengers boarding flights on social media.

''Fly Safe,Stay Safe,'' it tweeted.

Usman Sadiq, director of aviation security of the FAAN assured that adequate security measures had been put in place, the Daily Post reported.

Sadiq said security agencies across airports in the country had been directed to tackle security breaches.

As part of efforts to curb the virus’s spread, Nigeria had introduced several measures at airports across the country, including restrictions for VIPs.

“Henceforth, all VIPs will no longer be permitted to bring non-traveling aides to airport terminals. This especially applies to governors, ministers, parliament members, judiciary, and military officers,” Sirika Hadi, the country’s aviation minister, announced late on Monday night.

“Temperature and symptoms checks are mandatory, and face masks must be worn at all times inside the airport and airplane. Travelers must also sanitize their hands frequently and maintain physical distancing at all times,” he said.

Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri and Maiduguri will resume flights on July 11 and other airports on July 15, according to Hadi.

The West African country has not yet announced the date for international flights.

Nigeria has confirmed 29,789 cases so far, with 669 deaths and 12,108 recoveries, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).