The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has advised non-travellers to stay away from airports in a bid to diminish the spread of the Coronavirus.
It also urged persons coming to pick up arriving passengers to remain in their cars until travellers exit airports’ entrances.
FAAN revealed this as part of the new protocols for the restart of flights amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Announcing via Twitter, it wrote, “Non-travelling passengers will not be allowed into the Airport Terminal Buildings. People coming to pick up arriving passengers are advised to remain in their cars until passengers exit the gate. Stay safe.”
#COVID__19 Flight Resumption Protocol for Passengers: People coming to pick up arriving passengers are advised to remain in their car until the passenger exits the gate.#wednesdaymorning #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/reWt66jKvT
— FAAN (@FAAN_Official) June 17, 2020
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FAAN also urged travellers to wear face masks, maintain two metres distance and arrive at airports at least three hours before flights to ensure proper checks.
The Federal Government had earlier stated that civil aviation authorities will determine the resumption of domestic flights in the country.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, had on June 1 said that “The aviation industry is requested to start developing protocols to allow for domestic flights to resume anytime from the 21st of June onwards.”
However, while giving an update last week, Aliyu said the PTF was yet to receive any update from the aviation sector on its preparedness to restart commercial flight operations.
“We gave them a window of three weeks to prepare and I believe they are still preparing. We did not ask them for updates on how things are going but we expect them to get back to us.
“The aviation industry is highly regulated. There are certain things they have to do before they start flying such as retraining of pilots, recalibrating the aircraft, and ensuring safety at the airports to make sure people are safe.
Nigeria’s airports and airspace were shut in March by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the President’s directive did allow the operation of essential flights including those for medical and evacuation purposes, amongst others.
