The Federal Government has reportedly impounded an Angola Airlines Boeing 777 jumbo plane at the Lagos airport for flying illegally into Nigeria.
The Government grounded the passengers-laden plane and subsequently impounded it, shortly after it touched down in the country on Wednesday afternoon.
The aeroplane belongs to Angola Airlines, a state-owned airline and flag carrier of the Angolan government.
It was gathered that the plane flew into the country without the requisite and mandatory approvals from the Nigerian authorities.
The plane which was flown into the country purportedly to evacuate stranded Angolan citizens in Nigeria was found to be carrying fee-paying passengers.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has commenced further investigation into the matter.
In a related development, the Federal Government has announced the resumption of international flights effective from August 29,
The resumption is subject to the readiness of foreign and international airlines to comply with certain COVID-19 regulations stipulated by the health and aviation authorities.
The Federal Government had in March closed the nation’s airports for international flights as the coronavirus pandemic cases rose in the country.
Only evacuation and essential/emergency flights which are meant to be operated after necessary inter-governmental approvals.
In March this year, the Federal Government fined a British charter carrier, FlairJet, for violating some sections of Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Regulations.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the carrier was also reported to stipulated authorities in the United Kingdom.
The Legacy 600 aircraft belonging to FlairJet with registration G-ERFX was impounded by the Federal Government at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for conducting commercial flight operations despite the ban on such flights in Nigeria.
After impounding the aircraft, the Federal Government quarantined the pilots and other crew members for 14 days and declared that all necessary sanctions against the British aviation company would be applied.
