The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has revealed that potential evacuees from Nigeria to the UK would pay more than previous evacuees.
She disclosed this on Friday while giving an update on the evacuation arrangements for Britons in Nigeria as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of Britons were last week evacuated from Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
For the flights operated by British Airways, Laing had said the ticket was “just under £500”.
But in a statement on Friday, she said potential evacuees would have to pay a “slightly different price this time” for the next batch of flights scheduled for April 28, May 1, and 5.
According to her, British citizens travelling back to the UK from Lagos would now pay above the initial £500.
She said, “Our first phase of flights are done, and I am glad to say they went well. I was at the airport last Saturday, 18th of April to wish farewell to those travelling out on those flights.
“Our next phase of flights will be on the 28th of April from Abuja and from Lagos on the 1st and 5th of May, there will be further timings of these flights.
“On the payment, flights have a slightly different price this time £491 from Abuja and £505 from Lagos and I am afraid you do have to pay for these flights.”
She noted that the UK government has prioritised vulnerable citizens as well as residents in the UK who were on short visits to Nigeria before the closure of the airport by the Federal Government.
As part of its measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria, the FG had in March shut all airports in the country to flight operations but permitted emergency flights including those for the evacuation of foreign nationals and movement of medical equipment, amongst others.
