COVID-19: FG threatens to suspend flights from UAE, Netherlands
The federal government has threatened to suspend flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands as a reciprocal action.
Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, was speaking during the presidential task force on COVID-19 (PTF) briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Mustapha said the ministry of aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have been directed to take necessary reciprocal measures permissible by law and other international obligations.
“For over a month, Nigeria has been engaging with the authorities of the UAE and the Netherlands over pre-departure testing requirements passengers should meet before travelling from Nigeria,” Mustapha said.
On February 1, 2021, Emirates Airline, which operates from Dubai, announced that it would conduct rapid COVID-19 tests for Nigerian travellers at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure in addition to banning transit flights operated by other airlines with Nigerians on them.
The NCAA opposed this move and placed a 72-hour suspension on outbound Emirates flights from Nigeria.
At the time, the agency said the airline has been airlifting passengers from Nigeria using rapid antigen tests conducted by laboratories not approved by regulatory authorities.
The ban was lifted after the carrier agreed to withdraw the rapid antigen testing done prior to the departure flights from Nigeria.
These are just aimed at the poor masses who shuttle Dubai for their daily hustle. You ban flights to Dubai but every elite that could afford s rented flight can make it into Dubai. You guys are just playing with the lives of innocent citizens in the name of covid19
That is not true,it wasnt th government that banned flights to Dubai it was a decision of the UAE.we actually need to applaud the government for taking this steps UAE has been taking the piss moving dates and canceling flights all in because FG wont give in to their request of conducting test for Nigerians at the airport.
In all these, What is the hope of lifting the bane by 10th March, 2021.
Plz who so ever that is in charge of liaison with this people (UAE), our highly respected minister, the distinguished Mr Boss Mustapha and our honourable ambassador in UAE, should pls resolve this problems no matter what it takes, some poor Nigerian young people I believe could have sold only their plot of land just to make it to Dubai for a greener pasture, but look at what is happening, pls let this be settled, in order to save some visas
You can imagine, someone who got her visa on the 28 of Jan 2021. You banned flight from going to your country and how do you expect such person to go and soon the visa will expires and the person who struggled to get it will be at the extreme lost. God is watching all of them.
Get sense for once,what Nigeria govt is trying to do is in our Favour, they are trying to let the lift the ban on transit flight so that ordinary man can go there nd hustle
The UAE government are also thief when they know that they want to suspend flight why did they issued visa to people. If the visa issued to Nigerians expired during this period I think the Nigeria government supposed to sue them.
Yes we are waiting untill 10th of March, pls FG should do something about this banning of flight, pls
It has been extended to March 20th and I have two friends of mine which their Visa will expire on the 17th of this month,now tell me what will the government do to that?