Federal Government has said it will reciprocate travel restrictions by countries that have not opened their airspace to Nigeria.
This means that only airlines from countries that allow flights from Nigeria will be allowed to also fly into and out of the country.
This is in retaliation to the flights and visitors ban placed on Nigeria by the European Union over coronavirus fears.
It would be recalled that the European Union in June released a statement listing some countries that are banned from flying into any of the countries in the region, which included Nigeria.
Read Also: COVID-19: Nigeria, US, Others Excluded From Countries Allowed Entry Into Europe
At the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Thursday, August 20, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced that the Federal Government will be reciprocating the EU’s decision.
Airlines from the European Union would not be allowed to fly into Nigeria once the International flights resume operations in Nigeria on Saturday, August 29.
Read Also: Breaking: International Flights To Resume August 29
The minister, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu, argued that the decision was taken in the interest of Nigerians.
He stated;
On the list of countries (that are banned), we are working on the comprehensive list, but the main one that came up is when the EU opened their borders effective 1st July, Nigeria was among the list of 54 countries that were not allowed to enter the EU.
Nuhu added;
To my understanding, as the situation changes, they are going to look at the list and change it. But so far, we don’t have any contrary information to that first one that Nigeria is banned from going to the EU. So, as we open our airspace, we are going to apply the issue of reciprocity to those (EU) countries.
The NCAA DG also announced that as International flights resume operations, inbound international passengers would be limited to 1,280.
Nigeria will reopen its airspace to international flights on August 29. However, flights will be restricted to the Lagos and Abuja airports.
