The Federal Government has announced that Emirates Airlines has been included in the list of airlines not allowed to operate in Nigeria.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the disclosure via his Twitter handle on Friday.
He said the decision was taken after a meeting between the Presidential Task Force and European Unions.
He revealed that the ban would take effect from Monday, September 21, 2020.
“The PTF sub-committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st September 2020,” he tweeted.
The PTF sub committee met today with EU Ambassadors to discuss Lufthansa, Air France/KLM ban. The meeting progressed well. Emirates Airlines’s situation was reviewed & they are consequently included in the list of those not approved, with effect from Monday the 21st Sept. 2020🇳🇬
— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) September 18, 2020
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The other approved airlines include:
- British Airways
- Delta Airlines
- Emirates Qatar,
- Kenya Airways
- Middle East Airline
- Egypt Air Emirate
- Ethiopian Airline
- WA
- Turkish Airline
- Virgin Atlantic
- Air Peace
- Asky
- Africa Ward Ghana
- Air Cote d’Ivoire.
Airlines that are not approved include Air France, KLM, Ethiad, RwandAir, Air Namibia, Air Almaroq, Lufthansa, Angola, South Africa Airways.
The country’s airspace and airports had been shut to flight operations in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The FG subsequently approved the restart of domestic flights from July 8, adding that effective September 5, international flights would resume with the two airports.
The Aviation Minister noted that there would be sanctions for non-compliance with the guidelines on the part of the airlines and the passengers.
He said passengers who fail to comply with the COVID-19 protocol put in place to curb the importation of the virus would be suspended from travelling for six months while airlines that fail to comply would pay a fine of $3,500 per passenger.
